Family is built around love, loyalty, and respect. 

In most cases. 

On Jan. 8, Amazon Prime Video’s movie “Herself” shows that family isn’t always everything. Following the story of Sandra (Clare Dunne), the film captures her struggle to escape an abusive husband while keeping her daughters safe. After living in a hotel room for a while with her daughters, Sandra decides to build her own home without her ex-husband Gary (Ian Lloyd Anderson) knowing. 

Sandra works as a housecleaner in Ireland and the beautiful landscape shown makes the viewer want to be in Ireland themselves. 

“Herself” discusses several powerful topics that flow together in an easy-to-follow storyline. Sandra works for a retired doctor, Peggy (Harriet Walter), who gives Sandra a piece of her land to build Sandra’s house on. Peggy is seen as a woman who wants nothing to do with anyone and is rude towards people trying to help her. But, as the movie continues, she helps Sandra and her daughters out to help make their lives a little bit easier. 

The opening scene of “Herself” shows Sandra being abused by Gary and sending her daughters out of the house so they do not see what happens—or at least, that is what we are led to believe. This scene is uncomfortable for all audiences, but this discomfort comes with bringing attention to dark topics like abuse. Molly (Molly McCann), Sandra and Gary’s youngest daughter, refuses to go to her monthly visits with Gary, which makes him extremely angry and makes the viewers very confused as to why she will not go. The confusion adds a suspense factor to “Herself,” as viewers are led to believe that Molly is being abused by her father as well. 

Abuse needs to be looked at more in film in order to educate people of all ages; abuse is a prominent occurrence in society, often not spoken about enough.

The audience cannot help but fall in love with Sandra, her daughters, and Peggy’s characters. Between Sandra building a house for her and her daughters, and Sandra sticking up for herself in court, viewers develop an emotional attachment to the characters. This film is not for a younger audience, but “Herself” is an amazing movie about a mother raising her daughters.