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Vera Drake

Vera Drake

Wife. Mother. Criminal.

2004125 minRMidcredits score: 95th percentile of all films
Director
Mike Leigh
Starring
Imelda Staunton, Phil Davis, Sally Hawkins, Daniel Mays

Abortionist Vera Drake finds her beliefs and practices clash with the mores of 1950s Britain – a conflict that leads to tragedy for her family.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Vera Drake?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Vera Drake streaming on BFI Player via The Roku Channel.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Vera Drake?

Vera Drake earns 7 badges, led by Modern classic and Top 5% of films.

  • Rank
  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office

Reception

Is Vera Drake worth watching?

Vera Drake's Midcredits score is the 95th percentile of all films, from 51K ratings across 6 sources. 85% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

95th percentile

Better received than 95% of films

96th percentile among Crime95th percentile among 2000s
Acclaim (how much people like it)92nd
Approval (how many liked it)95th

76 /100

92nd percentile of all films

95th percentile among Crime92nd percentile among 2000s

Critics 83 · Audience 75

Critics liked it more than audiences did.

Rating distribution

Most people land high, with a thin tail of low scores from those it didn't reach.

85% liked it

95th percentile of all films

95th percentile among Crime95th percentile among 2000s
85% rated it 7–1015% rated it 1–6

Critics 92% · Audience 84%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of critics approved than audiences.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 3 Oscar noms · 38 wins / 44 noms overall

  • NominatedAcademy Awards· Best Achievement in Directing
  • NominatedAcademy Awards· Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role

91st percentile

51K ratings across platforms

89th percentile among Crime86th percentile among 2000s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 29% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$11M
Opening weekend$13K
Domestic gross$3.8M
Worldwide gross$13M

Returned 1.2× its budget — 80th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

Both camps agree the film is a slow, grim portrayal of a kind working-class woman who performs illegal abortions in 1950s London, anchored by Imelda Staunton's powerful performance.

Fans praised

  • Imelda Staunton's performance as a heartbreakingly kind and naive woman
  • Authentic, lived-in recreation of post-war working-class London
  • Understated, humanist storytelling that avoids polemics on abortion

Detractors panned

  • Lead character too saintly and idealized to be believable
  • Slow pacing and repetitive, overlong crying scenes in the second half
  • Dull, predictable plot with no dramatic surprises

What stands out

Acting92

Imelda Staunton's face conveys joy, confusion, and devastation without words; ensemble cast is uniformly praised

Atmosphere88

Almost documentary authenticity in sets, costumes, and period feel

Emotional impactDivisive80

Fans are devastated by Vera's downfall; detractors find the crying manipulative

CharactersDivisive75

Vera is a selfless, naive caregiver; some critics find her too good to be true

Dialogue75

Naturalistic, improvised speech captures working-class reticence

Plot and storyDivisive60

Simple, linear story of discovery and punishment; detractors call it predictable and padded

Tension60

Slow burn to arrest scene; some find the second half gripping, others laborious

Pacing38

Slow first half builds character; second half drags with repetitive crying scenes

Preferred by

No notable difference between any of the groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 5 points apart
  • Under-30s vs over-30s 6 points apart
  • Critics vs users 1 point apart
  • US vs non-US even

Watch experience

What is Vera Drake like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Dark and unsettling: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are ready for heavy feelings, and you want something dark that stays with you.

It takes its time and leaves you devastated. Skip it when you want an easy night or you want things to move fast.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Room for heavy feelings and patience.

What it feels like

Dark and unsettling.

The answer rests on this: Moods
TenseMelancholicWarm
Heaviest: late
Register
Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.Tender · 13% of filmsBleak · 8% of films
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film is utterly sincere and unblinking, playing its material straight with no irony or distance, even at its most devastating.
The rideThe film maintains a steady, realistic register, with warmth in family scenes gradually overtaken by tension and grief after the arrest.
StructureA conventional beginning-middle-end structure that slowly builds Vera's world before the crisis and its aftermath.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Devastated.

The answer rests on this: Devastating · 3% of filmsThought-provoking
Why it leaves you this wayLong after the credits, the viewer is left with a heavy sense of injustice and the quiet tragedy of a kind woman crushed by a hypocritical system.
How it ends · evidence
Tragic ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).Tragedy
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9% (this title): Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3% (this title)
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Tragedy: A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin. · Crushed by fate: Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.

9% of films fit this archetype

Why this archetypeVera's life and family are destroyed by forces she cannot control: the law and a hypocritical society, not by her own flaw or obsession.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfJusticeMorality
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% (this title) · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16% (this title): Justice 13% (this title) · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% (this title) · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Morality

Justice · 13% of filmsClass · 3% of filmsSacrifice · 4% of films
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Societal stakes: Consequences reach a whole social order.Single lead
How it treats its themeThe film contrasts the punishment of a poor abortionist with the legal, sanitized access available to the wealthy, exposing a double standard, while Vera's selfless motives complicate easy moral judgment.
StanceThe film presents the tragedy of one woman to question the justice of an unequal law, without advocating a specific political position.

The world

Mid 20th centuryUrbanDomesticRealistic
Orchestral modernSupportive music · original score · Andrew Dickson
SettingPost-war working-class London, 1950
MusicA sparing, somber score that underscores the emotional weight, with occasional motifs of 'heavenly' music.

Content guide

Is Vera Drake okay for kids?

R

Vera Drake is rated R: “Rated R for depiction of strong thematic material” (MPAA). As of October 2, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at moderate (36/100), sexual content at moderate (41/100), language at mild (33/100), drug and alcohol content at moderate (41/100) and frightening material at intense (63/100). Its language and drug and alcohol content have too few votes to rank. Overall it is heavier than 11% of R-rated films.

Ratings in 6 other countries
  • UK12A
  • FranceTP
  • Ireland15
  • Austria12
  • PortugalM/16
  • Switzerland12
Overall
Moderate · all five categories
Heavier than 37% of all filmsHeavier than 11% of R-rated films
Violence & Gore
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
light for an R-rated film
heavier than 17%
Sex & Nudity
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 38%
Profanity
Mild · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
too few votes to rank (9 votes)
Alcohol & Drugs
Moderate
too few votes to rank (9 votes)
Frightening / Intense
Intense
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 52%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

The reason to think twice is frightening material. Everything else sits at or below what R-rated films usually carry.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Vera Drake have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Vera Drake?

Cast

Imelda Staunton
as Vera
Phil Davis
as Stan
Sally Hawkins
as Susan
Daniel Mays
as Sid
Eddie Marsan
as Reg
Alex Kelly
as Ethel
Ruth Sheen
as Lily
Adrian Scarborough
as Frank
Heather Craney
as Joyce
Lesley Manville
as Mrs. Wells

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Vera Drake?

Movies like Vera Drake include Secrets & Lies (1996), Life Is Sweet (1990) and Million Dollar Baby (2004). Of the 12 closest matches, several are films set in London, and most are period dramas.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

Mike Leigh wrote and directed 6 of these 12. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Vera Drake?

2.2K other films share the rarest tag below, relationship: caretaker and dependent. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.