Penguin Bloom

Directed by Glendyn Ivin

PENGUIN BLOOM is the biopic of Sam Bloom (Naomi Watts), a confident, outdoorsy woman and mother of three young boys, whose life changes in an instant following a traumatic accident. As she struggles with her recovery and questions her sense of self, her healing is aided by the unlikely bond she develops with a rescued magpie that her eldest son, Noah (Griffin Murray-johnston), affectionately names Penguin.

The parallels between Penguin and Sam are not subtle – a bird that cannot fly and a woman struggling with her injury. But the film makes no secret about this, resulting in a beautiful telling of a remarkable true story that carefully balances tonal shifts between moments of tragedy and light-heartedness. Watts brings depth to the character and delivers a nuanced performance to a script that avoids sentimentality. Penguin Bloom may offer few surprises in its narrative, yet still delivers a rewarding story that is not about overcoming, but one of resilience and acceptance.