The Secret Garden

An orphaned young girl sent to a gloomy country house discovers the restorative powers of its mysterious walled garden in this latest dramatisation of Frances Hodgson Burnett's much-loved children's novel. The book's Edwardian-era setting here shifts to 1947, when a cholera outbreak in newly partitioned India claims her parents, so spoilt, lonely Mary (Dixie Egerickx) is shipped back to a dank England. Her uncle (Colin Firth), distressed by the loss of his wife and their bedridden son's failing health, is far from welcoming, and Julie Walters' housekeeper proves a stern custodian, yet discoveries await in the rambling grounds. The ensemble approach of previous screen versions here gives way to a closer focus on Mary, whose perspective is reflected in stylised visuals contrasting shadowy gothic interiors with the verdant extravagance of the secret garden itself (filmed in various English estates and given occasional digital augmentation). The captivating imagery outlines an affecting tale of childhood resilience amid fractured family ties, centring on Egerickx's involving performance.