My Son (2021 film)

Edmond Murray (James McAvoy) is an absent father who is called to the site of his son Ethan's disappearance. He meets and briefly consoles his ex-wife Joan (Claire Foy) there, and promptly joins a search party before later interviewing with the police.

After interviewing with the police, Edmond visits his ex-wife's new partner, Frank, and the two begin talking. After seeing that Frank has made plans for a new home for he and Joan (without a bedroom accommodation for Ethan), and upon hearing that Frank's given Joan a Valium to help her sleep, Edmond becomes irate and confrontational, accusing Frank of being responsible for his son's disappearance. He assaults him in the kitchen, knocking him unconscious and calling Inspector Roy to have him look into Frank.

Edmond is arrested and no charges are filed, as Frank is apparently forgiving of Edmond due to his emotional stress at the moment. Edmond is later met by Inspector Roy, who hides Edmond's phone in a microwave (as not to be heard), and informs him that he has been taken off the case without any explanation.

Edmond looks through Frank's phone (which he swiped after knocking him out) and discovers videos of Ethan leading up to the disappearance. During this, he realizes there is a car present both videos, two weeks apart, hidden just barely out of sight. Relying on Joan's brother who works in the insurance industry, Edmond gets the vehicle owner's address.

After arriving at the location, he hears a vehicle approach. Hiding out of sight, Edmond grabs a crowbar and eventually knocks out the stranger, and ties him up to a post in the shed. After an aggressive interrogation involving a blowtorch, the stranger reveals that he is responsible for sending pictures of children outside of schools to interested kidnappers, who then "choose" who will be kidnapped. After being told of his son's location, Edmond rushes uphill to a lodge, where three captors are inside.

Edmond successfully incapacitates their vehicle, knocks out one of their cronies, finds his son, and relays his location to Joan and Inspector Roy. After a narrow escape, Edmond is injured and veers off the road. Joan and Ethan exit, hiding behind a tree - only to be met by Inspector Roy who takes them to safety.

Outdoors surrounded by water and mountains, Joan and Edmond stand with Ethan as he flies an RC helicopter. Inspector Roy tells Edmond that it is time for them to leave, and he bids his son farewell. As the movie ends, Inspector Roy mentions that the judge will likely take into account the benefit of Edmond's actions, as there is an even greater network of kidnappers soon to be arrested - proving a benefit to Edmond's otherwise illegal actions.

• James McAvoy as Edmond Murray
• Claire Foy as Joan Richmond
• Gary Lewis as Inspector Roy
• Tom Cullen as Frank
• Jamie Michie as Hunter
• Robert Jack as Alan
• Owen Whitelaw as Fergus

It was announced in October 2020 that James McAvoy and Claire Foy had been cast to star in the film, which was written and directed by Christian Carion, remaking his 2017 French film of the same name. McAvoy was not supplied with a script or dialogue, being made to improvise for himself.[2]

Filming had begun by late October 2020, and filmed throughout Scotland. Filming in Lochaber paused after a positive COVID-19 test.[3]

The film was released on Peacock on September 15, 2021.[4] It will also be released on The Roku Channel on December 15, 2021.[5]

• My Son at IMDb
• My Son at Rotten Tomatoes