| Flora and Son | |
|---|---|
 US release poster | |
| Directed by | John Carney |
| Written by | John Carney |
| Produced by |
|
| Starring |
|
| Cinematography | John Conroy |
| Edited by | Stephen O'Connell |
| Music by |
|
Production companies |
|
| Distributed by |
|
Release dates |
|
Running time | 97 minutes[1] |
| Countries |
|
| Language | English |
| Box office | $129,959[4] |
Flora and Son is a 2023musicalcomedy drama film written and directed byJohn Carney, featuring original songs by Carney andGary Clark. The film starsEve Hewson,Jack Reynor, Orén Kinlan, andJoseph Gordon-Levitt.
Flora and Son had its world premiere at theSundance Film Festival on January 22, 2023, and was given alimited theatrical release in the United States on September 22, 2023, to be followed by a wide release in Ireland on February 23, 2024. It also began streaming onApple TV+ worldwide on September 29, 2023. It received positive reviews from critics and was named one of the top 10 independent films of 2023 by theNational Board of Review.[5]
![[icon]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=https%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aWiki_letter_w_cropped.svg) | This sectionneeds expansion. You can help byadding to it.(November 2025) |
Flora, a single mother living inDublin, is having trouble with her estranged son Max, a rebellious teenage petty thief. Encouraged by theGardaí to find Max a hobby, Flora rescues an old guitar from askip and, with the help of a Los Angeles-based online guitar teacher, discovers that one person's rubbish can be another person's salvation.[6][7]
Principal photography took place on location inDublin.[8] Hewson and Gordon-Levitt were photographed with guitars while filming inGriffith Park in July 2022.[9]
Original songs for the film come from Carney andGary Clark, with Clark also writing the score. Clark and Carney had previously collaborated on music for film, stage and television.[10] Speaking at the2023 Sundance Film Festival, Gordon-Levitt was quoted as saying "I finally got to play music in a movie! It's really true, I've always wanted to do it and I’ve always been a musician at heart and love doing it. I’ve learned to do many things for movies. I've learned to walk on a tightrope or play hockey or, certainly, lots of fighting and shooting and things like that. But this time I was practicing a skill that I've practiced most of my life, but having to do it at a bit more of a skill level than what I was used to."[11] Hewson could play the guitar before they made the film and said all singing she does on screen is her and toldThe Hollywood Reporter although she had to overcome a "massive, massive fear" of singing in the film, she never turned to her father (musicianBono) for musical tips: "I'd rather sing in front of the entire world."[12]
Flora and Son premiered at theSundance Film Festival on January 22, 2023.[13] The songs reportedly produced a "spontaneous clap-a-long and rapturous standing ovation" during its first screening.[14] A bidding war for distribution rights came down toAmazon Studios andApple Studios, with the latter winning the rights for "just under" $20 million.[15] It was screened at theToronto International Film Festival on September 7, 2023.[3] It was released in select theaters in the United States on September 22, 2023, before streaming worldwide onApple TV+ starting September 29, 2023.[16]
On thereview aggregator websiteRotten Tomatoes, 93% of 156 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.4/10. The website's consensus reads: "Another music-fueled crowd pleaser from writer-director John Carney,Flora and Son proves almost impossible to resist."[17]Metacritic, which uses aweighted average, assigned the film a score of 76 out of 100, based on 32 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[18] InThe Wall Street Journal, Kyle Smith called the film his favorite of the year.[19]
In March 2024, the film was nominated for Best Film, Best Director, Best Script, Best Hair and Make Up, Best Original Music and Best Lead Actress for Eve Hewson at theIFTA Film & Drama Awards.[20]
| Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hollywood Music in Media Awards | November 15, 2023 | Original Song – Feature Film | "High Life" –Gary Clark,John Carney, andEve Hewson | Nominated | [21] |
| Song – Onscreen Performance (Film) | Eve Hewson,Joseph Gordon Levitt, Orén Kinlan, andJack Reynor – "High Life" | Won |
