As Christmas approaches, Bri, a somewhat grumpy and disillusioned British schoolteacher, finds himself increasingly irritated by the noisy and unruly schoolboys in his classroom. After the bell rings signaling the end of the school day, he stubbornly keeps the boys seated, making them place their hands on their heads and sit quietly long after dismissal, relishing a private fantasy involving a nude blonde woman. During this moment of daydreaming, he casually makes a Freudian slip about breasts, revealing his innermost thoughts, before mischievously fleeing the school in his aging vehicle—leaving the boys still sitting, never officially dismissed. He then returns home to spend the holiday with his family, seeking some semblance of solace away from his professional frustrations.
At home, Bri pulls a playful prank on his wife, Sheila, \[[sheila-gish\]](/actor/sheila-gish), by taping a fake rubber spider onto his face, much to her amusement. Sheila is an eccentric, slightly scatterbrained housewife who is passionate about collecting a variety of domestic pets, including guinea pigs, a Siamese cat, and two parakeets. Their lively banter reflects a relationship filled with quirky humor and peculiar interactions. As they move into the back room of their home, it becomes clear they are caring for their daughter, Josephine, who was born with severe intellectual disabilities, unable to walk, speak, or use the toilet unaided. The film reveals through a flashback at the beach that Sheila experienced a narrow pelvic opening during childbirth, which contributed to the difficult and risky birth.
Bri and Sheila often engage in role-playing to simulate conversations with Josephine, pretending to be her in order to cope with their emotional struggles. For example, they mimic Josephine’s voice and gestures, and when she urinates, Bri is faced with the vulnerable task of changing her clothing, begging her to speak or say something to him. Meanwhile, Sheila casually talks to herself, adding to the overall atmosphere of eccentricity. Their household is filled with bizarre and often dark humor, as they navigate the daily challenges of caring for Josephine amid the interruptions from nosy neighbors, doctors, and nurses who check in on her.
Throughout the story, Bri’s concern about her health grows; he worries that Josephine looks jaundiced or overweight and questions her future wellbeing. The emotional toll of their circumstances leads Sheila and Bri to contemplate increasingly drastic options, including euthanasia. As Josephine’s condition worsens and she approaches the end of her life, Sheila begins to suspect that Bri may have a role in her declining health. They face a dilemma on whether to keep her at home or consider placement in a nursing home, with friends and neighbors weighing in on what might be best for Josephine.
As Josephine’s health deteriorates, the emotional strain on the family reaches a boiling point. Sheila, overwhelmed by the ordeal, eventually admits to Bri her ceaseless plans to place Josephine in a residential hospital forever, with the hopes of rekindling her marriage and perhaps starting anew. That morning, Bri leaves the house with a suitcase, boarding a train for London—exhausted, he falls asleep imagining, or perhaps longing for, a different life. Meanwhile, Sheila wanders through their home, talking to her pets, softly kissing Josephine’s forehead, then stripping off her clothes and getting back into bed alone, reflecting her quiet acceptance of the lonely, uncertain future that awaits.
