Brian Cox’s Glenrothan: A Love Letter to Scotland

A story of family, legacy and reconciliation

For more than six decades, Brian Cox has built a remarkable career across stage and screen. From early theatre work to standout roles in Braveheart, The Bourne Identity, and his award-winning performance as Logan Roy in Succession, he has become known for his commanding presence and emotional precision. Now, at 79, he turns to directing for the first time with Glenrothan.

Arriving in cinemas on April 17, Glenrothan is a thoughtful, character-led drama that explores family, memory and the ties that shape us over time – even when we try to leave them behind. Starring Brian Cox alongside Alan Cumming, the film balances intimacy with broader themes of belonging, legacy and reconciliation, shaped by Cox’s keen understanding of generational and cultural tensions, and underscored by his signature dry humour. 

At its centre are two brothers whose lives have taken very different paths. Donal (Cumming) left the Scottish Highlands nearly forty years ago, distancing himself from his family and the expectations placed upon him. In Chicago, he built a new life – a career, a family, and a sense of independence. Yet as the years pass, it becomes clear that leaving a place doesn’t always guarantee a fresh start.

His older brother Sandy (Cox), by contrast, stayed. He devoted himself to the family whisky distillery, preserving a legacy passed down through generations. That sense of duty, however, has come at a cost – a quieter life shaped by routine, responsibility, and unresolved tension. When Sandy’s health begins to decline, he reaches out to the brother he hasn’t seen in decades. What follows is not a neat reconciliation, but a gradual and often uneasy process of confronting the past.

One of the strengths of Glenrothan is its honesty. It resists easy resolutions, instead acknowledging that forgiveness is rarely immediate and that rebuilding trust takes time. For many viewers, this will feel familiar. The film gently reflects the reality that while it is rarely too late to reconnect, time remains a significant factor.

Cox has described the film as a “love letter to Scotland,” and that is clear in its setting. Filmed in the Highlands, the landscape plays an important role, not just visually but emotionally. The natural surroundings mirror the characters’ inner lives, adding texture without ever overwhelming the story.

As Cox explains:
“Glenrothan is, in many ways, a return – to a place, to a spirit, to something long buried beneath pride, silence, and time. This film is deeply personal to me. It’s rooted in the Scottish soil I come from, in the textures of its people – their humour, their stubbornness, their pain, and their capacity for grace. At its heart, this is a story about estrangement – between brothers, between past and present, between who we were and who we wish we had been. But it’s also about the chance, however fragile, for redemption. And about how the land – with all its harsh beauty – can both divide and unite us. As a first-time director, I’m not interested in flash or flourish. I’m interested in truth. In stillness. In the quiet gestures that speak volumes. With Glenrothan, I wanted to create something authentic, intimate, and unflinching – a film that captures the emotional texture of reconciliation and the cost of decades-old silence. This is a story that belongs to Scotland, but I believe its themes –  of family, forgiveness, and the possibility of healing – are universal.”

The supporting cast adds further depth. Shirley Henderson, the BAFTA Award-winning actress known to many from the Harry Potter films, brings humour and emotional nuance through her connection to the brothers’ shared past, grounding the story in a sense of history and community. Meanwhile, Alexandra Shipp brings warmth and perspective as Amy, representing the next generation and gently pushing the family toward healing and change.

A central thread throughout the film is the family distillery. More than a business, it represents heritage, identity and continuity. For Sandy, it is a life’s work. For Donal, it is a reminder of what he left behind. As tensions rise, the future of the distillery becomes closely tied to the brothers’ relationship, raising questions about responsibility, legacy and what we choose to carry forward.

Ultimately, Glenrothan is a film about taking stock – recognising what matters, and what can still be changed. It avoids sentimentality, instead offering a grounded and believable look at reconciliation and the long process of finding common ground.

In a landscape where many films prioritise pace and spectacle, Glenrothan offers something more grounded – a story driven by character, conversation and emotional truth. If you’re drawn to thoughtful, well-crafted storytelling, this is one worth experiencing on the big screen.

See Glenrothan in cinemas from April 17.

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