Brenda Blethyn’s Haunting Dragonfly Arrives on ITVX With a 92% Rating

A seemingly innocent friendship between two lonely neighbours gradually turns into something far more unsettling in Dragonfly, the acclaimed British psychological drama starring Brenda Blethyn and Andrea Riseborough.

Paul Andrew Williams’ 2025 film is now streaming on ITVX, giving UK viewers the chance to watch Blethyn in one of her most praised recent roles.

At the centre of the story are Elsie, an elderly widow struggling to receive adequate care, and Colleen, her much younger and deeply isolated neighbour. When Colleen begins helping Elsie, their connection initially appears to offer both women something they desperately need.

But that sense of comfort does not last.

As their relationship develops, suspicion begins to take hold, particularly after Elsie’s son starts questioning Colleen’s motives.

An unexpected bond between two isolated women

Blethyn plays Elsie, who lives alone in a semi-detached bungalow in Yorkshire.

After suffering a fall, she depends on visiting carers, although the support she receives is not always enough to meet her needs.

Next door is Colleen, portrayed by Oscar nominee Andrea Riseborough. She is a withdrawn woman whose main companion is her bull terrier, Sabre.

After noticing Elsie’s difficulties, Colleen begins stepping in to help with everyday tasks. She shops for her neighbour, cleans her home and provides companionship that Elsie has been missing.

She even purchases a two-way radio so the women can remain in contact.

For Elsie, Colleen’s presence brings practical assistance and much-needed company. For Colleen, caring for someone else seems to give her life a renewed sense of purpose.

Yet the film never makes it easy for viewers to decide exactly what lies behind their relationship.

Just when it seems possible to understand one character, Dragonfly encourages the audience to reconsider.

Jason Watkins introduces a new layer of doubt

The arrival of Elsie’s son John, played by Jason Watkins, changes the dynamic.

John is not closely involved in his mother’s everyday life, but he quickly becomes concerned about Colleen’s growing presence and begins questioning why a relative stranger has become so involved in Elsie’s care.

Watkins has described John as a son who should be doing more to support his elderly mother, creating an uncomfortable contrast with Colleen, who is actually there when Elsie needs someone.

That conflict gives the story a much darker edge.

What could have remained a quiet drama about an unlikely friendship gradually becomes a psychological mystery involving friendship, resentment and retaliation.

The central question becomes increasingly difficult to answer: who should Elsie actually trust?

The film deliberately plays with perception

Williams, who both wrote and directed Dragonfly, builds the film around uncertainty.

Colleen is never presented as someone audiences can immediately classify as either trustworthy or dangerous. Instead, the story explores how quickly people form opinions about others based on appearance, social background and personal circumstances.

Williams has said that some of the characters were inspired by people he knew. Elsie drew partly from his mother and grandmother, while aspects of Colleen were influenced by people he encountered while growing up in a small seaside town.

He began writing the film during the COVID-19 pandemic, creating a story designed around a small number of characters and locations.

That limited setting helps make the drama feel intimate. Ordinary conversations and everyday encounters gradually take on a much heavier psychological significance.

Riseborough has also connected the film to themes of loneliness and marginalisation, emphasizing the ways circumstances can shape people’s lives without being something they have chosen.

Blethyn and Riseborough anchor the story

The film depends heavily on the chemistry and performances of its two leading actresses.

Blethyn brings her extensive experience to the role of Elsie, while Riseborough gives Colleen a deliberately difficult-to-read quality.

Their work was recognised when both actresses received the Best Performance prize in the International Narrative Competition following the film’s premiere at Tribeca.

Blethyn also joined the production under unusual circumstances. She replaced Vanessa Redgrave and took on the role approximately one week before filming began.

Despite the rushed introduction, Riseborough later described working with Blethyn as feeling like coming home.

Their connection is particularly important because much of Dragonfly is built from small moments rather than conventional thriller set pieces.

The film spends time watching the women talk, share routines and gradually form a bond. Those quiet scenes establish the emotional relationship before the story takes a much more troubling direction.

Critics have embraced the slow-burn tension

Dragonfly currently has a 92% Tomatometer score from 25 reviews on Rotten Tomatoes.

Critics have praised its performances and psychological tension, while identifying isolation, elder care and community as central themes.

The film occupies an unusual space between social drama and psychological thriller.

Its story is grounded in familiar issues such as loneliness, ageing and shortcomings within the care system, yet Williams steadily introduces a sense that something is not quite right.

The danger is never immediately obvious, which allows the tension to build gradually.

Instead of relying on constant shocks, Dragonfly creates unease by making viewers question what they are seeing and who they should believe.

Beneath the suspense is a story about invisibility

At its heart, Dragonfly is about two people who have become largely invisible to those around them.

Elsie is an elderly woman whose needs are not always being properly recognised, while Colleen is a lonely neighbour who appears to have little connection to the wider community.

Their friendship temporarily gives both women a sense of belonging.

The film also raises broader questions about social care and the assumptions people make about those who do not fit easily into conventional expectations.

Williams and Watkins have discussed these themes, with Watkins revealing that some viewers were moved enough by the film to say they wanted to call their mothers afterward.

That emotional response is crucial to the film’s effectiveness.

Dragonfly does not begin with an extraordinary crime or an obvious threat. It starts with something much more ordinary: an elderly woman who needs help, a neighbour who notices her situation and a son who becomes suspicious.

From there, the film gradually forces its audience to choose whom they trust — and then question whether those judgments were right in the first place.

Dragonfly, starring Brenda Blethyn, Andrea Riseborough and Jason Watkins, is now streaming on ITVX in the UK.