Review: Channel 4’s ‘Help’ a Harrowing Portrayal of Covid-19 Inside of Stretched-Thin Care Homes

Jodie Comer and Stephen Graham star in Marc Munden’s Channel 4 original drama “Help.” The film is a harrowing portrayal of recent events that every adult care worker knows too well. “Help” is probably the most accurate, intense depiction of the pandemic. Films like Adam Mason’s “Songbird” and Doug Liman’s “Locked Down” fail to capture the severity of Covid-19 and simply see the disease as a limiting factor for their characters. Jack Thorne (“Enola Holmes,” “Wonder”) pens the script that details these horrific events, and the limits care workers were pushed to.

A Dream Job that Becomes Anything But

Comer plays newly qualified carer Sarah, who starts her job at a Liverpool care home, caring for the residents. One of these patients is Tony (Stephen Graham), a man with early-onset Alzheimer’s that tends to wander from the home. During Sarah’s six-week probation period, Covid-19 strikes, and everything begins to go downhill as the virus ravages the country. Nightmarish night shifts and anti-government rants ensue as Sarah becomes overwhelmed and overworked and before we know it, she snaps.

Director Marc Munden captures the eeriness of Sarah’s experience with ease. Unfocused corners, handheld shots, and a 26-minute long take all make you feel like you’re watching a horror film, which for a lot of these workers, is probably what life felt like. Munden also allows viewers to see both sides of the care home—patient and carer. He lets viewers see the bond that forms between patients and carers from the get-go. Powerful, raw performances drive “Help,” and Comer and Graham give astonishing performances. For the most part, “Help” is an authentic portrayal of the pandemic; however, the final act is where it begins to take a sour turn. When Sarah eventually snaps, the events that ensue aren’t exactly what you think they would be.

Additionally, “Help” shines a light on the stark and disappointing fact that when the pandemic began, care homes and facilities within the adult care sector were completely forgotten about. The statistics listed in the credits—and Sarah’s emotional tirade accompanied by intense eye contact—grasps audience by the neck to make them understand care workers’ daunting experiences.

A Raw, Intimate Portrait of the Effect of Covid-19 on Workers

The film being based on an issue that we as a society have dealt with for the past 18 months makes it more unnerving. Audience members who enjoy Jodie Comer’s moving performance can catch her in Ridley Scott’s upcoming historical drama “The Last Duel.” But viewers who enjoyed Stephen Graham’s performance can see him in “Venom: Let There Be Carnage” or in the BBC drama series “Line of Duty.” The long shot featured in the middle of the film captures the eerie atmosphere of the night shift. The dim lighting, coughs of a dying man, and smooth camera movements coat the film in a layer of uneasiness.

All4’s biggest ever new drama launch is an intense film that tells the story that care workers are all too familiar with. Compelling performances and cinematography turn “Help” into a film that highlights the terrible handling of Covid-19 by the British government; however, it also highlights the overlooking of care facilities like Sarah’s at the beginning of the pandemic. Marc Munden brings a talented cast together in a disturbing film everyone should watch.

“Help” aired on Channel 4 and AII4. We are unable to determine if the movie is still available for streaming.