Ken Loach's 'Sorry We Missed You' Examines Gig Economy's Human Cost

Ken Loach's film 'Sorry We Missed You' premiered at the 72nd Cannes Film Festival, offering a critique of the gig economy's impact on ordinary people. Set in Newcastle, the story follows Ricky (Kris Hitchen), who loses his job after the 2008 crisis and becomes a self-employed courier. His wife Abbie (Debbie Honeywell) works as a precarious caregiver. The film explores how contemporary capitalism transforms workers into pseudo-entrepreneurs, stripping them of protections. Manager Maloney (Ross Brewster) forces Ricky to buy a van on credit, selling the family car, and monitors him via a digital scanner. As misfortunes mount, the family spirals into crisis. Screenwriter Paul Laverty crafts a script rich in dialogue that reveals the inescapable downward trajectory. The film contrasts hyperconnected urban enclaves with marginalized zones, questioning what happens in small towns traversed by global flows where capitalism fails to take root.