And Mrs UK Digital Review | Road Rash Reviews

4 star hilarious and touching romcom.

And Mrs is a 2024 British Romantic comedy drama film, combining the standard fare of your London romcom with a brilliantly morbid twist.

It is written by Melissa Bubnic (Hollyoaks (TV Series)) and directed by Daniel Reisinger (Players (TV Series)) and is available on UK Digital Download from 2nd September 2024, courtesy of Vertigo Releasing.

“You listen to us having sex? What do you do, do you put a glass to the floor?…well maybe next time you could come over and it can be an immersive experience, how’s about that?”

Gemma (Aisling Bea – Swede Caroline, Greatest Days) is a young woman living in London with her soon-to-be husband Nathan (Colin Hanks – How It Ends, King Kong). Her day starts out as usual, she kisses Nathan goodbye and heads out for her morning yoga with friends Mo (Omari Douglas – A Little Life, Rye Lane) and Ruth (Susan Wokoma – Enola Holmes, The beautiful Game). She heads home, only to find Nathan has passed away in his sleep, from an embolism caused by trying to put on his sock.

Obviously devastated, she begins the long job of sorting out their affairs, helped by her parents Lorraine (Sinéad Cusack – Napoleon, Stonehearst Asylum) and Derek (Peter Egan – Our Ex-Wife, Death at a Funeral), as well as Ruth, She also has the task of informing Nathan’s sister Audrey (Billie Lourd – Ticket to Paradise, Booksmart), who flies in for the wedding.

As everyone begins work on cancelling the wedding, Gemma has an idea. She was never as committed to the idea of marriage as Nathan, and in order to prove that she really did want to marry him, she decides to go ahead with the wedding anyway. She finds a little known law (Necrogamy) that would allow for this to happen, but first she needs the approval of the Lord Chief Justice (Harriet Walter – Burial, The Last Duel). Despite the reservations of pretty much everyone, Gemma is determined to make it happen, but will love prevail?

“So, this might sound mad, but, erm, Nathan really wanted to marry me. Like, really wanted to marry me. So, why now get married?”

And Mrs is a very entertaining film. Casting Aisling Bea as Gemma was an absolute stroke of genius, because her comic timing and delivery is second to none and so is her ability to convey raw emotion. While the subject matter would suggest that this ought to be a depressing film, the topics of loss and grief are handled very well, highlighting the importance of allowing yourself to see the funny side of a situation even while dealing with the loss of a loved one.

There are a few elements that feel a bit forced, such as the introduction of Nathan’s best friend Dylan (Arthur Darvill – Broadchurch) as a potential love interest for Ruth, as well as various other things that maybe just extend the length of the film for no reason. There would also be so many more legal ramifications than are touched on here, although that would make for a pretty boring story. What does work really well is the chemistry between Gemma and Nathan, as he appears both in flashbacks and in her imagination throughout the film.

All in all, this is a very interesting take on the traditional romcom, with a deeply touching ending, as the cast and crew pay tribute to those they have lost, so make sure to have the tissues ready. An excellent film and well worth a watch.

“Well, this is embarrassing. Couldn’t I have died getting mauled by a bear? Or fighting in a war I didn’t believe in? No. Death by sock.”