Honestly, tracking down a specific indie film these days feels like a scavenger hunt where the rules change every week. You’ve probably seen the clips on TikTok or Instagram—those soft-focus shots of Anna Paquin and Holliday Grainger looking longingly at each other in 1950s Scotland—and now you're trying to figure out how to actually watch Tell It to the Bees without hitting a digital dead end. It’s not always as simple as clicking onto Netflix and hitting play.
The film, directed by Annabel Jankel and based on the Fiona Shaw novel, had a bit of a quiet release back in 2018 and 2019. It didn't have that massive Marvel-sized marketing budget. Because of that, its streaming home varies wildly depending on whether you’re sitting in London, New York, or Sydney.
The Current Streaming Situation for Tell It to the Bees
Right now, if you are looking to watch Tell It to the Bees in the United States, your best bet is usually Hulu or platforms like AMC+ and IFC Films Unlimited. It’s been a staple on those "niche" streamers for a while. If you aren't subscribed to those, you can go the old-school route. Rent it. It’s usually about $3.99 on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, or Google Play.
In the UK? Things get a little trickier. It pops up on platforms like BFI Player or even the Roku Channel occasionally. It’s one of those movies that "travels" a lot. One month it's free with ads on Tubi, the next it’s gone. If you see it available, grab the popcorn immediately because licensing deals for indie queer cinema are notoriously fickle. They expire. They move. They vanish into the "digital vault" for months at a time.
Why is it so hard to pin down? It comes down to distribution rights. Unlike a "Netflix Original" which stays put forever, Tell It to the Bees was handled by different distributors like Good Deed Entertainment. These smaller companies license the film to streamers for short windows. If you're a fan of period dramas, you've definitely felt this frustration before.
What People Get Wrong About the Story
Some folks go into this expecting a light, fluffy "cottagecore" romance. It isn't that. It’s heavy. Set in 1952, the plot follows Dr. Jean Markham (Paquin) as she returns to her hometown to take over her father's medical practice. She meets Lydia (Grainger), a mother struggling with a failing marriage and poverty. They bond over bees. Literally.
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Jean’s nephew, Charlie, gets obsessed with the beehives in Jean’s garden. He tells them his secrets. It's a folklore thing—the idea that if you don't tell the bees what’s happening in your life, they’ll leave or die. It’s a beautiful metaphor, but the movie leans hard into the "small-town prejudice" trope.
The Controversial Ending Shift
If you’ve read the book, you might be in for a shock when you finally watch Tell It to the Bees. The book and the movie take very different paths. No spoilers here, but the book’s ending is... let's say, significantly more definitive. The film takes some creative liberties that divided the fanbase. Some critics, like those at The Guardian, felt the film softened the edges of the original prose, while others felt the visual chemistry between Grainger and Paquin carried the weight regardless of the script changes.
It’s a polarizing choice. Some viewers love the cinematic ambiguity. Others feel like it betrayed the source material’s grit. When you watch it, pay attention to the color palette. It shifts from cold, grey Scottish rain to warm, amber "honey" tones as the relationship develops. It's subtle, but effective filmmaking.
The Cast: Why the Chemistry Works
Holliday Grainger is basically the queen of period pieces. From The Borgias to My Cousin Rachel, she has this way of looking like she actually belongs in the 19th or 20th century. In Tell It to the Bees, she plays Lydia with a raw, desperate vulnerability. You can feel her suffocating under the weight of 1950s social expectations.
Then you have Anna Paquin. Most people know her from X-Men or True Blood, but this is a much more restrained performance. She’s playing a woman who has already been burned by the world and has built up high walls. Seeing those walls crumble is the whole point of the movie.
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- Anna Paquin as Dr. Jean Markham: The guarded outsider.
- Holliday Grainger as Lydia Weekes: The struggling mother.
- Gregor Selkirk as Charlie: The child through whose eyes we see the magic and the horror.
- Emun Elliott as Robert: The husband who represents the rigid, often cruel, status quo.
The supporting cast does a lot of the heavy lifting to make the town feel real—and claustrophobic. The gossip is a character in itself. You feel the eyes on the back of the characters' necks. It’s uncomfortable. It’s supposed to be.
Why This Movie Still Matters in 2026
You might think a movie from 2018 about the 1950s would feel dated. It doesn't. The themes of "chosen family" and the danger of small-town hive minds (pun intended) are evergreen. We’re still talking about this movie because it captures a very specific type of longing.
Also, let's be real: the cinematography is gorgeous. Even if you muted the dialogue, the shots of the Scottish countryside and the macro photography of the bees are worth the price of a rental. It’s a "mood" movie. It’s what you watch on a rainy Tuesday when you want to feel something deeply melancholy but ultimately hopeful.
Technical Details You Might Care About
If you’re a cinephile, you’ll appreciate that the film was shot on location in Scotland. That’s not a green screen. The dampness you see on the screen is real Scottish weather. The production design by Mark Leese is meticulous. The kitchen in Jean’s house looks like it hasn't been touched since 1930, which fits her character perfectly—someone stuck in the past until Lydia arrives.
The score, composed by Claire M Singer, uses a lot of organ and cello. It’s droning and hypnotic, much like the sound of a beehive. It adds a layer of tension that keeps the movie from feeling like a standard Hallmark-style romance. There is an underlying sense of dread that hums through the entire 108-minute runtime.
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Tips for the Best Viewing Experience
If you're settling in to watch Tell It to the Bees, do yourself a favor and turn off the lights. This isn't a "second screen" movie where you can scroll through your phone. The pacing is slow. It’s a slow burn. If you miss the small glances or the way the camera lingers on a hand-touch, you miss the whole point.
- Check your subtitles: The Scottish accents are lovely but can be thick for some international ears.
- Watch the bees: They aren't just background noise; they act as a Greek chorus for the emotional state of the house.
- Trigger Warning: Be prepared for some scenes of domestic violence and intense homophobia. It’s a product of its setting, but it hits hard.
Actionable Steps to Find the Film
Since streaming rights are a mess, here is the most efficient way to find a link right now:
- Use a Search Aggregator: Go to a site like JustWatch or Reelgood. Select your country. These sites track the daily changes in library holdings for Netflix, Prime, and others.
- Check Local Libraries: If you have a library card in the US or Canada, check the Libby or Kanopy apps. Tell It to the Bees is frequently available on Kanopy for free because it’s considered an "art house" film.
- Physical Media: If you’re a collector, the DVD is surprisingly cheap on eBay. It’s the only way to ensure you actually "own" the movie and don't have to hunt it down every time you want a rewatch.
- Digital Purchase: If you love it, just buy it on a digital storefront. It’s usually around $7.99 to $9.99 for a permanent HD copy.
Stop waiting for it to land on a platform you already pay for. If you want to see it, the $4 rental is the most direct way to support the filmmakers and ensure these kinds of stories keep getting told. It’s a small price for a movie that stays with you long after the credits crawl.
Once you finish the film, track down the book by Fiona Shaw. Comparing the two is a fascinating exercise in how stories are adapted for the screen. You’ll see exactly where the director decided to lean into the "magic" and where the author leaned into the "reality." Both have their merits, but they offer very different emotional payoffs.
Go find a quiet room, dim the lights, and let the hum of the bees take over. You’ll understand why this little indie film still has such a dedicated following years later.