On Achill Island off the west coast of Ireland, Grace (Catherine Walker) is overworked and struggling to keep her life together as she tries to care for her cantankerous and increasingly demanding father, Howard (James Cosmo). A widowed sea captain who spends his days weaving, Howard is more than content with shutting himself off from the outside world in his disorderly home – until Grace hires a housekeeper named Annie (Brid Brennan).

Howard soon takes a liking to Annie, much to the bitter frustration of Grace, whose unhappy relationship with her own husband is ever-worsening. It’s not long before the tension between Grace and Howard reaches a tipping point, and it soon becomes clear that there is a deep-seated reason for her unhealthy behaviours.

Finnish director Klaus Härö’s English-language debut is at once a tale of late-in-life love and regrets; a light-hearted romance tinged by family trauma.

In the wake of inheriting his father’s gigantic hotel chain, wealthy businessman Hal (Christopher Abbott) arranges to meet with professional dominatrix Rebecca (Margaret Qualley) one last time to end their long, secret relationship. Hal tells Rebecca he has to stop seeing her because he can’t risk having his deviant extracurriculars exposed once he ascends to the role of CEO – but she’s not as keen to call it quits. Over the course of one fraught night in a hotel room, a battle of wills ensues as they become locked in a battle for power and control.

Sancutary offers a wickedly dark twist on the screwball rom-com, with fiery banter, wildly oscillating power dynamics and a side of BDSM for good measure. And like any good dominatrix, it playfully teases and keeps the audience guessing throughout before reaching its final, unexpected resolution.