Jimpa, the “breathtaking” family drama starring Olivia Colman and John Lithgow, has finally landed a release date in the UK. Based on the life story of co-writer and director Sophie Hyde, the performances have been lauded by critics.
The film sees Colman portray Hannah, a filmmaker who ventures to Amsterdam to visit her father Jim (Lithgow). Hannah faces a shock, however, when her teenage child Frances (Aud Mason-Hyde) wishes to stay in the Netherlands with their grandfather.
After premiering at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, it’s been a long wait for word on a UK release, but Signature Entertainment has confirmed that Jimpa will be available digitally on 11 May.
Signature Entertainment
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“Filmmaker Hannah travels to Amsterdam with her non-binary teenager, Frances, to reconnect with her fiercely independent and politically engaged gay father, otherwise known as ‘Jimpa’,” reads the logline.
“When Frances announces they want to stay in Amsterdam with Jimpa, old tensions resurface as Hannah is forced to confront not just Frances’ growing independence, but the deeper truths about her own past.”
Upon its world premiere in January 2025, the family drama has received a mixed response from critics, with Rotten Tomatoes currently reporting a middling approval rating of 53% from 55 reviews.
“It earns every emotion and then some, breaking the heart open with such breathtaking truthfulness that you get bowled over just before you land softly in its final frames,” praised TheWrap.
Signature Entertainment
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ScreenDaily added: “Led by layered performances from Olivia Colman and John Lithgow, Hyde’s fifth feature is an affectionate, perceptive observation about the quiet difficulties of family, even if the picture overstays its welcome.”
IndieWire was more sceptical, however, noting: “Between an over-reliance on woozy indie filmmaking staples – from its soft lighting to its plodding, overly delicate score – and a central family dynamic that never feels legible, the end result is more irritating than enlightening.”
Jimpa will be released digitally in the UK on 11 May.
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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.