London Film Festival 2024 – Joy ★★★

Released: 15 November 2024

Director: Ben Taylor

Starring: Thomasin McKenzie, James Norton, Bill Nighy

As global governments attempt to limit our reproductive rights, Joy – the based-on-a-true-story tale of IVF’s invention – feels as timely as ever. Following the British scientists, nurses and research participants behind this miraculous method of childbirth, the film outlines the trial-and-error process these hard-working folks faced, paying special attention to Jean Purdy – the only woman co-credited with developing the treatment. Thomasin McKenzie brings Jean to life with muted star power, witty charm and a sense of humour, making it seemingly effortless for the audience to sympathise with her severe endometriosis and infertility – the latter being the primary driver behind IVF to begin with.

Like many historical dramas (think The Theory of Everything or One Life), Joy doesn’t do anything unconventional within its storytelling, instead staying by the book – which prevents it from becoming exceptional. The plot and performances carry this project, which attempts (and succeeds) to recount the facts while injecting a hefty dose of sentimentality; James Norton and Bill Nighy bring natural credibility to scientist Robert Edwards and surgeon Patrick Steptoe, respectively. Of-the-era cinematography, set design and soundtrack round out the film, giving it a well-polished look and feel that may support the story but does little to advance it.

Joy introduces some complex moral and political ideas but largely glosses over them in favour of being a plot-driven film rather than an ideological one. For instance, Jean faces pushback from her mother and her congregation, who both oppose IVF as an ‘unnatural’ method of procreation and admonish Jean’s role in it. When Jean learns that Steptoe has been performing abortions, she’s momentarily appalled as ‘a Christian’ (though a more nuanced stance would have been a welcome addition to the script). This provides the perfect opportunity for nurse Muriel (Tanya Moodie) to remind Jean – and the audience – that IVF and abortion are both about choice. That said, the film makes no mention of any reproductive scenario that’s not strictly heterosexual, though many LGBTQ+ couples use IVF to have children today; to its credit, the science was originally developed to address infertility, with its other applications being convenient by-products.

Joy is, at its core, a feel-good film about facing adversity and not giving up. It doesn’t seem to embellish the facts and tugs at your heart in all the right ways, giving audiences – but particularly parents, I’d imagine – plenty to tear up over. Though the movie is an entertaining watch and the story one worth knowing, it lacks innovation as an exercise in filmmaking. That said, an Oscar nomination for Best Picture wouldn’t come as a shock, but it’s the actors who deserve the real recognition.