Nuclear is a thriller movie directed by Catherine Linstrum, which tells the story of a dysfunctional family living in a small village in Northern England. The family consists of siblings Emma and Jake, their mother Marie, and Emma's daughter, Little Robyn.
The family has a complicated past, with Marie being an abusive and neglectful mother who had abandoned her children for years. Emma, who was left to raise both her brother and daughter, resents her mother and the scars left by her childhood. The story begins as Marie returns to the village, seeking refuge from her abusive partner. However, her return sets off a chain of events that forces the family to confront the ghosts of their past and the dangerous reality of their present.
The town is under the shadow of a nuclear power station, which often floods the skies with radioactive clouds. The station serves as a metaphor for the toxic environment of the family and the village. Emma struggles to make ends meet, working long hours at the power station, while trying to shield her daughter from the area's dangers.
As the story unfolds, the revelation of a dark secret and an accidental death forces the family to face their demons and confront the toxic environment of their past. Ultimately, they must learn to trust each other if they hope to move forward with their lives.
The cast of Nuclear includes Emilia Jones as Emma, George MacKay as Jake, Sienna Guillory as Marie, and newcomer Norah Lopez Holden as Little Robyn. The movie premiered at the 2019 London Film Festival and was released in the UK on March 6th, 2020. The film's themes of familial trauma and environmental decay make it a thought-provoking thriller that resonates with contemporary issues.