Lollipop, the acclaimed British drama with a perfect rating on Rotten Tomatoes, is now streaming in the UK. Lauded for its performances and powerful narrative, this was one of the most praised British films of 2025.
The film, the feature debut from writer-director Daisy-May Hudson, follows young mother Molly Brown (Posy Sterling) as she is released from prison after serving a sentence of four months.
She attempts to reunite with her children, who were placed into foster care in the interim period, but soon finds herself at the mercy of the system as she struggles to acclimate back into society.
Featuring TerriAnn Cousins and Idil Ahmed in supporting roles, the drama is now available to view in the UK on BBC iPlayer. You have plenty of time to watch it too, as it isn’t due to leave the streamer for another 11 months.
Upon its release, Lollipop garnered critical acclaim, with Rotten Tomatoes currently reporting a perfect approval rating of 100% from 17 reviews. In the consensus, Sterling’s central performance and Hudson’s screenplay come in for particular praise.
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“There’s an extraordinary scene in Daisy-May Hudson’s excellent fiction feature debut that is as wrenchingly powerful as anything I have seen in the cinema this year,” said The Observer in its review.
“A rousing, emotional wrecking ball in the very best way possible, boasting star-making turns across the board and a story that is guaranteed to stay with you,” wrote Empire Magazine, while The Times called it “angry and unapologetic”.
Time Out was also full of praise, writing: “It’s so involving that it’d be easy to watch without realising the most unusual thing about it: from officials to shopkeepers, every single adult character is played by a woman.”
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“Posy Sterling’s layered performance as a single mum battling for her children’s custody after being released from prison carries Daisy-May Hudson’s film through frustrated sobs and cathartic laugh,” wrote Sight & Sound.
Elsewhere on BBC iPlayer, other films that are included on the service include Anna Maxwell Martin’s comedy-drama The Duke, classic 1940s dance drama The Red Shoes and comedy-horror The Blackening.
Lollipop is streaming now on BBC iPlayer.
The new edition of Living Legends, celebrating music icon Dolly Parton, is here! Buy Dolly at 80 in newsagents or online, priced at just £8.99.
Reporter, Digital Spy George is a freelance writer who specialises in Movies and TV. After graduating with a degree in Film Studies and Journalism from De Montfort University, in which he analysed the early works of Richard Linklater for his dissertation, he wrote for several websites for GRV Media. His film tastes vary from blockbusters like Mission: Impossible and John Wick to international directors such as Paolo Sorrentino and Hirokazu Kore-eda, and has attended both the London and Berlin film festivals.