What are people saying about The Starling?

Explaining how the movie delicately walks a tightrope between tragedy and comedy, McCarthy tells EW: “It’s the thing we all relate to: You laugh at funerals, you cry at weddings. And Theodore Melfi is one of the most relatable, delicate directors, because he can still do humour and break your heart.”

She adds: “After reading the script several times, I felt that I had seen so many films whereby the ‘strong’ man fights to hold it all together while the ‘weaker’ woman takes a time out to deal with her mental state. This is beyond a cliche to me.

“Switching Jack and Lily was not only more interesting, more compelling, fresher and more modern, it was simply more accurate. Seeing a strong woman hold her life together and fight for her marriage while going through the worst circumstance any couple could go through is a story we need to see and a story that I had to tell.”

When can we watch The Starling?

The Starling will become available for streaming via Netflix on 24 September.

The Starling: Melissa McCarthy’s new Netflix film offers a unique look at grief and loss