Loach’s latest full of emotion

Sorry We Missed You (M, 101 mins) Directed by Ken Loach Reviewed by James Croot ★★★★

Ricky Turner (Kris Hitchen) was convinced his new role would make him ‘‘the master of his own destiny’’, but instead it has brought him and his family nothing but misery.

Proud of having never been on the dole, despite a range of shortterm careers, Ricky leapt at the chance to become a courier, especially after an inspiring pitch from depot boss Gavin Maloney (Ross Brewster).

‘‘You don’t work for us, you work with us. There are no employment contracts or wages, just fees. We don’t hire you, you come on. Everything around here is your choice.’’

Opting to buy his own van does mean sacrificing the family car and dipping into the family’s already meagre savings.

That also forces Ricky’s wife Abbie (Debbie Honeywood) onto public transport, sometimes multiple times a day, to do her job as an in-home caregiver.

However, despite wrong addresses, parking ticket threats and abuse for the temerity to wear a Manchester United shirt in Newcastle, things initially seem to go well for Ricky.

So, when one of his fellow contractors struggles on a more high-pressure route, he takes his place. It isn’t long though, before the lengthy working hours for him and Abbie start to take their toll.

The pair barely see each other and teenage son Seb (Rhys Stone) starts to go off the rails.

Then, when Ricky asks for time off to deal with issues relating to that, he’s told that’s fine, but he’ll have to find his own replacement driver, or pay a penalty.

And that’s when things really start to spiral out of control.

A chronicler of British society’s ills for more than five decades, this latest from Ken Loach (Kes, My Name is Joe, Sweet Sixteen, I, Daniel Blake) is another searing, harrowing depiction of a family in crisis.

Regular collaborator, writer Paul Laverty, does a magnificent job of distilling the personal havoc caused by the rise of zero hour contracts. It’s also perfectly paced, as the Turners’ strains and cracks slowly open up and rare moments of joy become instantly swallowed by more misery.

Like the Dardenne brothers’ similarly-themed 2014 tale Two Days, One Night, this is tear- and rage-inducing viewing. The story’s impact is also greatly assisted by Loach’s use of hand-held camerawork, naturalistic lighting and a cast of relative unknowns.

Gritty and raw, only the hardest of hearts won’t feel for the Turners and their plight as they try to balance securing their future with keeping their family intact.

Gritty and raw, only the hardest of hearts won’t feel for the Turners and their plight.