Flora And Son Is An Uplifting New Comedy Musical We’re Excited For
We’re always down for a good musical and Apple TV+ is bringing a new musical-comedy film, Flora and Son, to our screens this month.
Starring Eve Hewson (Bad Sisters) and Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Poker Face), it sees Flora (Hewson) try to be a good parent to her rebellious son and hopes to improve his behaviour by teaching him to play guitar. Directed by John Carney (Begin Again, Sing Street), here’s everything you need to know…
What is Flora and Son about?
Flora, a single mother living in Dublin, is struggling to know what to do with her estranged, rebellious teen son, Max (played by newcomer Orén Kinlan). Max is apparently uninterested in growing up and maturing and often gets into trouble at school, as well as with the law. When Flora finds out that he’s been stealing things, she feels she’s at her wit’s end as to how to turn things around for her son.
The police who arrest him encourage her to help him find a hobby and something to channel his feelings and energy into. When Flora discovers an old, worn-out guitar in a skip, she thinks she’s found a solution. Max is initially reluctant to learn an instrument, but when Flora contacts a guitar teacher in LA and former musician, Jeff (Gordon-Levitt), he starts to gain an appreciation for music and its transformative effects and starts to bond with his mother.
Who else is in the cast?
Flora and Son is set to also star Jack Reynor (Midsommar) as Ian, Flora’s ex-boyfriend and Max’s father, Sophie Vavasseur (The Seed) as Juanita and Kelly Thornton (Clean Break) as Heart.
The official trailer gives a bit more insight into things, with Flora summing up her situation: “I can’t go on like this, living in a shoebox, with a kid who hates me”. She’s seen flicking through endless YouTube tutorials to try and learn the basics of playing, until she finds Jeff’s contact details, and starts getting video-call sessions. “What’s your problem?” she asks at one point. “I don’t have a problem” replies Jeff. “You’re teaching a guitar online love”, she quips.
Is there a release date?
Flora and Son debuted at the Sundance Film Festival and has received critical praise, with particular acclaim going to Hewson’s performance as Flora. It’s set to get a limited release in cinemas on 24th September and will then arrive on Apple TV+ on 29th September.
