Netflix's Joy follows what went into the landmark development of in-vitro fertilization, with a focus on IVF pioneer Jean Purdy

The new Netflix offering looks to shine a light on Jean Purdy in an emotional performance by Thomasin McKenzie

Not to be confused with 2015 Jennifer Lawrence movie, Joy on Netflix is a new 2024 movie starring Thomasin McKenzie that offers a crash course on the history of in vitro fertilization, or IVF.

Toward the end of Netflix’s “Joy,” the muffled cry of a newborn baby prompts a man and woman in a hospital to embrace out of pure bliss. They aren’t the parents, but they had as much to do with the birth as the mom and dad.