Queen at Sea by Lance Hammer – Edinburgh International Film Festival 2026 (film review)

3.5 Stars

Lance Hammer’s directorial comeback Queen at Sea offers an unexpected and less commonly explored perspective on dementia and the moral dilemmas that come with caring for your loved ones. 

After an 18 year hiatus following his 2008 Sundance winner Ballast, the US filmmaker’s second feature receives its UK premiere at the Edinburgh International Film Festival.

The drama is an empathetic yet unsentimental exploration of two contrasting storylines: the intimacy between an elderly couple dealing with dementia, and the youthful innocence of a teenage romance. 

The story revolves around Amanda (Juliette Binoche), who takes a sabbatical year with her teenage daughter Sara (Florence Hunt) in order to be closer to her mother Leslie (Anna Calder-Marshall), who is suffering from advanced dementia. Amanda’s stepfather Martin (Tom Courtenay) is Leslie’s caregiver, and the couple live by themselves in a house in gloomy London. 

Amanda experiences emotional and moral discomfort when she walks in on Leslie and Martin having sex and sees a clear expression of confusion on her mother’s face, who no longer has the capacity to give consent. Shocked and disgusted by the situation, she cannot think straight and calls the police, accusing Martin of raping her mother. We immediately sense Amanda’s growing estrangement from her stepfather, as well as an urgent need to protect her mother’s vulnerability at all costs.  

It transpires that this is not the first time Amanda has told Martin to stop, but Martin has done his own research and claims that intimacy and sexual contact can bring comfort to a person with dementia. He also admits that, most of the time, it is Leslie who initiates the intimate moments between them.

What happens next makes Amanda regret her impulsive action: the police ban Martin from seeing his wife and Leslie is forced to endure a rape exam which culminates with her screaming at the nurse. With Leslie’s dementia worsening by the day and Martin increasingly physically incapable of keeping her safe, Leslie’s move to a care home is arranged.

Hammer, who is also the screenwriter, one of the producers, and the editor of Queen at Sea, demonstrates his ability to address bold topics such as sex and consent within an elderly couple’s relationship. 

Anna Calder-Marshall, who portrays Leslie, delivers a stunning performance in the arduous role of depicting dementia and all the nuances associated with the disease.

Throughout the film we also witness the development and transformation of the relationship between Amanda, tenacious yet fragile, and her stepfather Martin, a grumpy yet tender old man. Martin learns to ask for help in order to overcome his fears and the two bond through their unconditional love for Leslie, eventually coming to understand and be vulnerable with each other.

Sara’s storyline evokes the innocence and naivety of young love. We follow her as she begins her first relationship, but it feels a bit detached and disconnected from the main plot. The contrast might have worked better had there been greater interaction between Sara and her grandparents. 

The ending is bold, unpredictable, and almost ironic, once again demonstrating Hammer’s audacity and his ability to deliver a portrayal of dementia that is equal parts tender and unsentimental.

Queen at Sea screens at EIFF on 15th, 16th, and 17th August, and is on general release from 18th September