“A wonderful addition to the canon of contemporary cinema”

There are very few films that celebrate the beauty and importance of female relationships while also featuring a lesbian romance at the forefront. However, Chuck Chuck Baby endeavours to change this, putting various forms of love between women in the spotlight in a way that feels truly rare. Set in director Janis Pugh’s hometown of North Wales, the comedic drama focuses on Helen (Louise Brealey), a working-class woman wanting more than the life she has. She earns her wages at the chicken factory and shares a home with her former husband Gary (Celyn Jones) as well as his ailing mother Gwen (Sorcha Cusack). As if their tiny house wasn’t already crowded, the three also cohabitate with Gary’s girlfriend Amy (Emily Fairn) and her baby. Helen’s world is rocked when her old classmate Joanne (Annabel Scholey) shows up one day, having moved back after her father’s death. Her arrival causes Helen to confront a truth she had long repressed, forcing her to decide what the life she longs for really looks like.

All of the relationships between women in Chuck Chuck Baby are important ones and contribute to creating the heart of the film in equal parts. While Helen and her co-workers may have numbers on the bright blue jumpsuits they wear as uniforms, they know each other by name and are more like a family than anything. These women are shown to care deeply about each other, spending time together even outside the four walls of the chicken factory they inhabit day in and day out. There is a real sense of camaraderie between them, reflected in their interactions both as individuals and as a larger group. Helen also has Gwen’s maternal presence in her life, and the two share several heart-to-hearts, with Gwen giving her profound advice as she reminds her just how fleeting their time on this earth truly is.

Thanks to both Pugh’s script and Brealey’s natural on-screen chemistry with Scholey, Helen and Joanne’s dynamic ends up being one of the most enjoyable aspects of Chuck Chuck Baby. The dynamic between the two women is characterised by its youthful nature, as they have fun with Joanne’s old doll, ride down a hill together on a makeshift vehicle, and collapse onto the bed giggling like schoolgirls. What makes their relationship truly special is how Helen and Joanne offer one another solace, sharing moments of lightness and genuine joy in the midst of the grief and sorrow that surrounds them. The two women allow each other to be who they are completely, without any walls or pretences.

That’s not to say homophobia isn’t present within Chuck Chuck Baby, as Joanne finds herself at the brunt of men’s derogatory remarks about her sexuality on several occasions. These moments are jarring because they add a more serious tone to what is overall a fairly lighthearted film, but they are important to include nonetheless to reflect the reality of the world. It is refreshing that even within a small town setting, Helen is surrounded by women who don’t take issue with her sexuality, even cracking good-humoured jokes about her queerness and affections for Joanne. In one especially beautiful aerial shot, Helen, Joanne, and the factory women are seen laying in a meadow together, with Helen and Joanne turning to look at one another as they hold hands.

The film’s soundtrack is used in a creative way as the characters sing along to many of the songs, with featured tunes from classic artists like Neil Diamond and Janis Ian. Rather than this musical stylization coming across as an unnecessary gimmick, it feels like an organic way to propel their emotional journey forward. One of the tracks—Lesley Duncan’s “Love Song”—is something of an anthem for Helen and can be heard several times throughout the film at key moments. Despite its incredibly specific setting, the themes of love and longing present in Chuck Chuck Baby are still able to resonate with audiences because of how universal they feel. Pugh’s feature film debut is a triumph, and it is a wonderful addition to the canon of contemporary cinema, especially with the hopeful love story it offers.

Director: Janis Pugh

Producers: Adam Partridge, Anne Beresford, Andrew Gillman, Peggy Cafferty

Cast: Louise Brealey, Annabel Scholey, Sorcha Cusack, Celyn Jones, Emily Fairn

Release Date: August 21, 2023 (world premiere)