Good Grief (2023) is a drama film following Marcus’s journey through life following the death of his husband. The film is streaming on Netflix.
Warning: This article contains heavy spoilers
Plot summary:
Marcus and Oliver are a married couple celebrating a lavish holiday party with their friends and family in attendance.
Oliver is a well-renowned author whose mystery novels are being adapted into films, making him a wealthy man.
He has to leave the party early because he is headed to Paris for a book signing, and he hands Marcus a letter before getting into his cab.
Marcus spends his time with his best friends, Thomas and Sophie. Sophie’s boyfriend Terrence is also there at the party.
The festivities are interrupted when they notice a commotion outside, and Marcus realizes that Oliver’s taxi got into an accident.
Marcus used to illustrate Oliver’s books and the rest of the time he was the dependent while Oliver was the primary breadwinner.
A month after his death, Marcus visits their lawyer Imelda to discuss what happens to Oliver’s estate.
She says that his publishers are trying to get out of the contract they signed with him since he can no longer deliver what he promised.
Thomas moves in with Marcus to give him company during this difficult time. They dated briefly before Marcus found Oliver, but they remain close friends.
Sophie is the wildcard of the trio, who prefers to rush through life rather than slow down and appreciate the subtler things.
She often complains about how she doesn’t see herself settling down with Terrence. 6 months go by, and Sophie urges Marcus to join the dating apps.
He chooses not to and continues to just push through the emotions he should be feeling. Around the first anniversary, he finally opens the envelope Oliver gave him.
In it, Oliver mentions that he found someone else and would like to discuss what it would mean before going ahead with it.
Marcus doesn’t know how to react to the news that his husband planned on leaving him before he died.
He then heads out to an art gallery/party at a warehouse, where he is rude to one of the performers.
This catches the eye of a Frenchman named Theo, who buys Marcus a drink. They get talking, and Marcus mentions that he used to paint long ago.
He stopped after the death of his mother because it reminded him too much of her. Sophie and Thomas eventually find him at the party.
He exchanges numbers with Theo but doesn’t promise anything.
Marcus meets with Imelda once again, and she mentions that he will need to restructure his finances to pay back the publishers and still have some savings.
She mentions a flat in France whose lease is running out and this is the first time Marcus hears about it.
He immediately deduces that it was bought to facilitate Oliver’s affair. Sophie breaks up with Terrence and is going through a rough time when Marcus suggests a trip.
He doesn’t tell them about Oliver’s affair and claims that this trip is for them to enjoy and forget the tough times in the past year.
Sophie snags a date on the first day that they are there, and insists that Thomas and Marcus come along.
She mentions that there will be other people there for Thomas to hook up with since he’s always complaining about not finding a decent man.
The night is spent drinking and listening to Sophie talk about how she prefers doing things she enjoys rather than doing things for the sake of survival.
Marcus decides to message Theo since he’s in Paris, and Theo finds them at a karaoke place later that evening.
Marcus leaves with Theo and they spend all night together. At dinner, they share some deep truths about themselves.
Marcus says that he avoided grieving for his mother by focusing on Oliver, and now he feels like he’s doing the same thing.
He also mentions that they had an open marriage because he was afraid of Oliver leaving him outright.
Theo takes Oliver to an art gallery and shows him a painting by Monet which was based on the loss the painter felt in life.
He tells Marcus that he can draw on his experiences and start painting as well to honor the ones that he has lost.
Marcus returns home the next day and doesn’t find anyone at home. He takes a nap, but when he gets up he is welcomed by a stressed-out Thomas.
Thomas says that Sophie ended up going home with the man she just met, and then was found by the police sleeping at a bus stop outside the city.
Thomas blames Marcus for abandoning them and leaving him to deal with Sophie’s ordeal all by himself.
Amid their conversation, Luca, the young man Oliver was seeing walks in. Marcus finally shares the truth with Thomas and Sophie, who aren’t thrilled.
Luca says that he has nowhere else to go so they reluctantly let him stay for the night.
Ending explained?
Do the three friends make up with each other?
Sophie burns the dinner she was baking for them and uses the opportunity to apologize to Thomas and Marcus for her behavior.
She admits that it was Terrence who broke up with her because she wasn’t taking him seriously.
They go out and sit on the big Ferris wheel in Paris where Thomas talks about his insecurities as well.
He says that he wants to head back home and take stock of his life for a while, and Sophie says she’ll go along with him.
They bid farewell to Marcus, feeling relieved to have had a conversation that was long overdue.
How does Marcus spend the night?
Marcus gets a message from Theo and goes to his house. They talk about the conversations Marcus had with his friends, and he stays over.
When he returns to the flat the next day, he sees Luca getting ready to leave. Marcus mentions the Christmas present Oliver had bought for Luca.
Marcus returned it so that he could pay for a dress that Sophie wanted to buy. Luca apologizes for getting in between them, but Marcus doesn’t blame him.
How does Marcus deal with his emotions?
Marcus decides to start painting again, and he starts with a picture of Oliver as inspiration. He meets Imelda to discuss the sale of his London house, and she gives him some advice.
She says that he shouldn’t run away from the grief, because that feeling with stick with him forever unless he acknowledges it.
He meets Sophie who is trying to win Terrence back. She takes issue with the fact that Marcus is moving to the coast, and tells him that he must come to the city often.
Marcus has a gallery showing of his paintings, and Sophie arrives with Terrence. The couple are newly engaged and she is thrilled about it.
Thomas shows up with his new boyfriend, showing that he too has moved on with his life at long last.
Marcus finally knows how to deal with his grief, and he is all the better for it.