Kate (Julianne Moore) owns and lives in Echo Valley, a tranquil ranch, where she trains horses and provides riding lessons to the community. Struggling with the loss of her wife, she is starting to wonder how she will continue to make ends meet. When her daughter Claire (Sydney Sweeney) shows up unexpectedly, Kate’s life is turned upside down.
Penned by Brad Ingelsby, the man behind Mare of Easttown, the audience is gripped from the get go. While it takes a bit of time to set up, this is all important in the grand scheme of things. Once the players are established and we learn what’s at stake, it ramps up rather quickly.
Where the film excels is definitely in its performances. Moore is almost always perfect and she more than delivers here. She really drives home the never-ending question of how far a mother would go for their child. Sweeney is a convincing drug addict. She really made me hate her character which just goes to show that she gave everything she had to the role. Fiona Shaw portrays Leslie who serves as an anchor of sorts for Moore’s Kate; a ride or die friend who deserves a medal. Lastly Domhnall Gleeson is dealer Jackie. Perfectly creepy in every single way, it was strange to see him like this!
There’s no doubt that the setting is stunning. It helps bring out the uneasy tone that is felt throughout. From the vast acres of the ranch to the serene lake and the old-fashioned house where Kate resides, the limited locations make the film even more intimate and like these characters and places could actually be real.
Overall Echo Valley is an entertaining thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat. It may have taken some time to get going and the plot may not be entirely original, but that didn’t bother me. I liked that it didn’t go where I was expecting it to and that there were still some surprises along the way.
Rating: ♥️♥️♥️.5
Credits Rolling 