A winter storm, a family in quiet turmoil, and a mother whose final chapter becomes the gathering point for everyone she ever held together. That is the emotional landscape of Goodbye June, Netflix’s major Christmas release for 2025 and the long-awaited directorial debut of Kate Winslet. The film opens the holidays not with glitter or cheer, but with a raw, tender, poetic look at a family learning how to say goodbye without losing each other in the process. The trailer is at the end of the article.
The story follows four adult siblings who return home when their mother June faces a severe health crisis during the holidays. What begins as a seasonal reunion turns into a deeply intimate reckoning with old wounds, unresolved guilt and the complicated love that binds families together. Winslet guides the narrative with an eye for emotional detail, shaping a film that feels both deeply personal and universally resonant.
Early previews frame Goodbye June as an emotional, intimate ensemble drama set firmly in the British holiday tradition, but with a sharper, more human edge than typical festive releases. While the film takes place at Christmas, its heart lies in the quiet, everyday moments of closeness and conflict: kitchen conversations, siblings rediscovering each other, and a mother whose grace and humor never dim even as her strength fades.
A stellar ensemble delivering raw, human performances
At the center of the story is Helen Mirren as June, delivering a performance shaped by warmth, wit and an aching authenticity. Mirren brings depth to a character who refuses to let illness define her final days, infusing scenes with emotional power that grounds the film’s themes of forgiveness and courage. Winslet, who directs and appears as one of the siblings, adds further dimension through her own restrained but tender performance, highlighting the complex bonds that shape adult family life.
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Surrounding them is a remarkably strong ensemble. Toni Collette brings volatility and vulnerability, Andrea Riseborough delivers her signature emotional precision, Johnny Flynn provides tonal balance with quiet intensity, and Timothy Spall adds gravitas in key moments. Actors such as Stephen Merchant, Fisayo Akinade, Jeremy Swift and Raza Jaffrey deepen the film’s sense of community, creating an ensemble dynamic that feels lived-in rather than constructed.
The film’s emotional pull is strengthened by the fact that the screenplay was written by Winslet’s son, Joe Anders. This collaboration gives Goodbye June an additional layer of intimacy, as though every frame is touched by the nuance of a family telling a story about family. Netflix positions it as both life-affirming and heartbreakingly honest, placing it among the platform’s most anticipated holiday releases of the year.
Visually, the film leans into soft winter palettes and grounded interiors, avoiding stylized holiday gloss in favor of natural light, close framing and a warmth that feels distinctly human. Winslet’s direction emphasizes quiet gestures – hands brushing, siblings sharing glances, a mother finding joy even as she prepares to leave her children behind. The tonal balance between grief and humor, sorrow and tenderness, suggests a holiday film designed to be revisited for years.
All the key details about Goodbye June
- Original title: Goodbye June
- Genre: Family drama – holiday drama
- Country of production: United Kingdom
- Year of release: 2025
- Directed by: Kate Winslet
- Main cast: Kate Winslet, Helen Mirren, Toni Collette, Andrea Riseborough, Johnny Flynn, Timothy Spall
- Based on: Original screenplay by Joe Anders
- Produced by: Netflix
- Release date on Netflix USA: December 24, 2025
► WATCH ON NETFLIX: official Netflix page for Goodbye June
In the end, Goodbye June is a film about holding on, letting go and discovering who you become when the person who anchored your world begins to fade. It is a story that understands the weight of memory and the beauty of imperfect love. If you enjoy emotional dramas and character-driven storytelling, keep this one on your holiday watchlist. If you love psychological thrillers on streaming, don’t miss this one.
Goodbye June premieres in select U.S. theaters on December 12, 2025, before arriving on Netflix USA just in time for Christmas Eve. If you gravitate toward layered family dramas, emotionally rich performances and storytelling that embraces both joy and grief, this is one to mark on your calendar. In the meantime, here’s the official trailer teasing the atmosphere and characters of Goodbye June.
