Ken Loach's 'Sorry We Missed You' Examines Gig Economy's Toll on Family Life

Ken Loach's film 'Sorry We Missed You' (titled 'Você Não Estava Aqui' in Brazil) portrays a working-class family in Newcastle, England, struggling under the pressures of the gig economy. Abby, a home-care nurse on a zero-hours contract, and her husband Ricky, a self-employed delivery driver, face exhausting schedules that strain their family life. The film critiques the 'uberization' of the economy, drawing parallels to concepts like Byung-Chul Han's 'Society of Fatigue' and Jonathan Crary's '24/7' logic. Screenwriter Paul Laverty's script highlights the erosion of workers' rights and the psychological toll of precarious labor. The narrative follows the couple's children, Seb and Liza Jane, who are affected by their parents' absence. Loach, 83, infuses the film with moments of humor despite its grim subject matter. The director, in an interview with El País, expressed hope in collective resistance against an unsustainable system. The film's release coincides with Brazilian IBGE data showing 38.8 million informal workers in the country's labor force.