As usual, Ken Loach excels in presenting highly relevant and socially significant topics. This time, it’s the complexities involved in the integration of immigrant groups into enclosed communities.

Although the discourse is too obvious and straightforward, lacking nuance and subtlety with the exception of the lead male character, the film succeeds in presenting the concerns of both the newly arrived immigrants and long-standing citizens of a small English village. This is specific to this case but can easily be extrapolated to many other settings. The language barrier, the rejection that immigrants face, impoverishing real estate speculation, and unfounded racism that many locals indulge in as a way to pinpoint their struggles onto others instead of organising (as they have lost their past sense of community) and confronting the true cause of their situation: Capitalism and the political elite. As a result, it provides a clear explanation of how far-right organisations have been on the rise in Europe lately.

On the other hand, elements such as the power of photography, the importance of community, and the relevance of younger generations and children as builders of the future are given some attention but feel somewhat underplayed.

In the end, it all leads to an extremely conventional but still emotionally hopeful ending.