Brenda Blethyn Is Remarkable… The Vera Star Is Worlds Away From DCI Stanhope In A ‘Heartbreaking’ British Drama — And Critics Are Raving About Her Powerful New Role! Blethyn stars opposite Andrea Riseborough as a vulnerable 84-year-old whose unexpected friendship with a lonely neighbour gradually develops into something far more unsettling. The film boasts an impressive 92% Rotten Tomatoes score, with critics praising the pair’s performances and calling it a “haunting” drama. Blethyn and Riseborough even shared the Best Performance award at Tribeca for their roles. Now this tense, emotional drama is available to stream on ITVX.

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Brenda Blethyn’s ‘Heartbreaking’ Drama Dragonfly Arrives on ITVX After Winning Praise for Its Powerful Performances

Brenda Blethyn may be forever associated with DCI Vera Stanhope, but one of her latest roles takes her into dramatically different territory. The acclaimed British drama Dragonfly, starring Blethyn alongside Andrea Riseborough and Jason Watkins, is now available to stream in the UK after its theatrical run.

Written and directed by Paul Andrew Williams, the film centers on two isolated neighbours whose unexpected friendship gradually develops into something far more complicated. What initially appears to be an intimate story about loneliness and companionship becomes an increasingly tense examination of trust, prejudice, social care and the assumptions people make about those living on society’s margins.

The film has earned a 92% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes, while Blethyn and Riseborough jointly won Best Performance in an International Narrative Feature at the 2025 Tribeca Festival.

Brenda Blethyn Leaves Vera Far Behind

Two women sit at a dining table, one holding a spoon, engaged in conversation.

Blethyn plays Elsie, an elderly woman struggling with inadequate care and an increasingly isolated existence.

It is a markedly different role from the sharp, determined detective viewers watched Blethyn play for years in Vera. Here, Elsie is vulnerable, lonely and reluctant to complain about her circumstances.

Living nearby is Colleen, played by Academy Award nominee Andrea Riseborough. After noticing the limited care Elsie receives, Colleen begins helping her with everyday tasks without asking for payment.

Their arrangement soon develops into a genuine connection between two women who, in different ways, have found themselves pushed toward the edges of their community.

Tribeca described Dragonfly as an “unpredictable and eerie” feature examining the realities of elder care, with the relationship between Elsie and Colleen forming its emotional center.

An Unlikely Friendship Takes a Darker Turn

Brenda Blethyn attends the "A Woman Of Substance" Photocall at The Soho Hotel on March 3, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by Hoda Davaine/Getty Images)

The bond between the neighbours initially offers both women something they have been missing.

Elsie gains companionship and practical support, while Colleen discovers a sense of purpose through helping her neighbour. But the closer they become, the more suspicion begins to surround their relationship.

Jason Watkins plays Elsie’s son, John, whose presence adds another layer of tension to the story.

Rather than remaining a straightforward drama about friendship, Dragonfly gradually shifts into darker territory. Questions about Colleen’s intentions begin to emerge, and an unexpected event sends the lives of the characters in a disturbing new direction.

Williams uses that uncertainty to examine wider issues surrounding loneliness, neglected elderly people and the fragility of community support.

Screen Daily described the film as a subdued story that eventually takes a deeply unsettling turn, praising its two central performances and its commentary on vulnerable people living on the margins.

Critics Praise Blethyn and Riseborough

Brenda Blethyn, with short grey hair, holds a piece of food in her hand.

Much of the acclaim surrounding Dragonfly has focused on its two leads.

At the 2025 Tribeca Festival, Blethyn and Riseborough shared the Best Performance award in the International Narrative Feature category. The jury praised their committed performances and the mixture of empathy and unease they bring to their characters.

The film subsequently collected further recognition on the festival circuit, including Best International Film at Galway and the Golden Hitchcock for Best Film at Dinard.

Critics were similarly enthusiastic. The Guardian awarded the film four stars and described it as a haunting drama that moves across genre boundaries, while other reviews highlighted the strength of the central pairing.

Rotten Tomatoes currently lists the film at 92% from 25 critic reviews, with its consensus highlighting the performances and the film’s exploration of isolation, elder care and community.

A Very Different Chapter for Brenda Blethyn

Andrea Riseborough on pink carpet in black dress

For viewers accustomed to seeing Blethyn solving murders as Vera Stanhope, Dragonfly offers an opportunity to see the actress in a much more fragile and emotionally exposed role.

Riseborough proves an equally important part of the film, creating a character whose kindness, loneliness and motivations become increasingly difficult to interpret as the story develops.

Together, their performances transform a seemingly small story about two neighbours into an unsettling drama about connection, suspicion and people who can easily become invisible to the world around them.

After earning festival awards and strong reviews, Dragonfly now has the chance to find a wider audience at home — and for Vera fans in particular, it reveals a strikingly different side of Brenda Blethyn.