Ricky and his family have been fighting an uphill struggle against debt since the 2008 financial crash. An opportunity to wrestle back some independence appears with a shiny new van and the chance to run a franchise as a self-employed delivery driver. It's hard work, and his wife's job as a carer is no easier. The family unit is strong but when both are pulled in different directions everything comes to breaking point.
Ratings
Curator score: 8.4/10
Letterboxd: 3.96/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 88%
TMDB: 7.3/10
Director
Ken Loach
Production
Sixteen Films, Why Not Productions, Wild Bunch, BBC Film, Les Films du Fleuve, France 2 Cinéma
Cast
Kris Hitchen, Debbie Honeywood, Rhys Mcgowan, Katie Proctor, Ross Brewster, Charlie Richmond, Julian Ions, Sheila Dunkerley, Maxie Peters, Christopher-John Slater, Heather Wood, Alberto Dumba, Natalia Stonebanks, Jordan Collard, Dave Turner, Stephen Clegg, Darren Lee Jones, Nikki Marshall, Mike Milligan, Grace Brown
Where to watch
Kino Film Collection
Curator Review
Verdict
A devastating, clear-eyed working-class drama that turns everyday labor, debt, and family strain into something almost unbearable to watch. It’s especially strong if you want social realism with emotional force rather than easy catharsis.
Best for
viewers drawn to social realism and labor politics
fans of bleak but humane family dramas
people interested in post-2008 economic anxiety
audiences who appreciate naturalistic performances and unsentimental storytelling
Skip if
you want escapist entertainment
you prefer plot-heavy films with twists or momentum
you’re not in the mood for a bleak, emotionally punishing experience
you dislike overtly political or issue-driven drama
Overview
Ken Loach strips the drama down to the daily mechanics of survival: shifts, deliveries, school problems, unpaid bills, and the constant sense that one missed step can collapse everything. The result is painfully immediate. Nothing here feels symbolic in a glossy way; it feels observed, lived-in, and cruelly ordinary.
Worth noting
What makes the film hit so hard is its refusal to isolate one villain. The gig-economy system is the pressure point, but the movie is really about how that pressure seeps into marriage, parenting, and self-worth. The family’s love is real, which only makes the damage more upsetting.
Bottom line
This is not a comfortable watch, but it is a vital one. Loach’s realism can feel blunt by design, yet the emotional precision and social anger are hard to dismiss. It’s one of those films that leaves you drained because it has made the cost of precarious work impossible to ignore.
Top Letterboxd reviews
Karsten (4.5★) · 779 likes
I’m definitely checking out everything Ken Loach has done, starting with Kes. This was tragic and the saddest part is how real it is. The way it covers the fear and depressing aspects of literally normal people is...so smart, I am not doing it justice. Too many thoughts!
Laura (4★) · 511 likes
capitalism exhausts us and pushes us to the edge. the whole time i worried that someone was going to be pushed so hard that they fell off, in one way or another. but maybe the real misery is in how we fight to hold on to what we have left.
Allison M. 🌱 (5★) · 483 likes
Cannes 2019Film #9
“Who cares.” - Seb’s notebook
Sorry We Missed You is a punch to the emotional gut. It follows a family in a tight economic situation that becomes more and more dire. The father works for an Amazon-type of company that considers him self-employed; he has no benefits, but carries all of the risks. The mother is an underpaid caretaker and is a true softie. The teenage son gets into trouble with his parents gone and the… more
˗ˏˋ suspirliam ˊˎ˗ (4.5★) · 405 likes
you know it’s a heavy one when you and the fam sit through the whole credits not speaking to each other...... so real and honest, this one hits hard 😔
Sean Baker · 381 likes
Will never miss a Ken Loach.
Shot by Robbie Ryan on 16mm. Arriflex 416, Zeiss Master Prime and Ultra Prime LensesKodak Vision3 250D 7207, Vision3 200T 7213, Vision3 500T 7219
Watched Kino Lorber Blu-ray
1948 · Drama · 1h 29m · NR · Curator 9.4/10 (461.8K ratings) · Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, Max, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
A landmark of neorealism about how one lost job can unravel a family’s stability and dignity.
Topics
social realism, working class, gig economy, family drama, economic hardship, British cinema, bleak tone, labor politics, naturalistic acting, contemporary drama