Most English speakers, upon encountering magpies, think first of the nursey rhyme One For Sorrow, Two For Joy, but European Magpie lore is much deeper and more expansive. Across much of the continent, it is considered unlucky to see a solitary bird of this kind, perhaps because they mate for life. In England, where Sam Yates’ thriller is set, such ill fortune might be avoided by greeting the magpie politely and asking after its spouse.

From the beginning, it is clear that Ben and Anette’s relationship is under strain. He (Shazad Latif) is preoccupied by the exciting business of their daughter Matilda’s developing film career. She (Daisy Ridley) is trying to get her career back on track after giving birth to their second child, Lucas. He doesn’t seem to recognise how important this is to her, only revealing at the last minute that a babysitter has cancelled,...