A mother struggles with her daughter's addiction issues. But when Claire (Sydney Sweeney) comes home claiming to have accidentally killed her boyfriend, Kate (Julianne Moore) does everything she can to protect her daughter.
Echo Valley is one of those stories that takes a very real and painful scenario and delivers one of the most extreme outcomes. But it begs the question; 'How far would you go to protect your child?' Although I'm quite sure there aren't many parents who would go as far as Julianne Moore's 'Kate'. Her dedication to her daughter is understandably strong, and while it may not exactly be relatable, it is at least believable that a parent would attempt this sort of thing for their child. And at the same time, you find yourself willing her to say no to Claire, even though you know she won't - at least in this instance.
Both Moore and Sweeney deliver stellar performances as mother and daughter. Through it all, they are the movie's real selling point. While Moore is fantastic as the put-upon mother struggling with her own troubles on top of her daughter's issues, Sweeney's portrayal of the drug-addicted Claire is not only hard-hitting, it is strikingly authentic. Domhnall Gleeson and Kyle MacLachlan are also very good, although MacLachlan gets very little to do. The scenes depicting the ups and downs of the mother/daughter relationship are by far the most gripping. Strangely however, it is actually harder to watch the scenes where they are ok together, as they put you on edge. Especially having seen that other side of Claire, and what she will do to get what she needs.
Normally this would involve money, but on the night in question it's a body in the back of Claire's car. Something Kate handles with a frightening level of efficiency. This of course has consequences that Kate could not possibly foresee - certainly not in that moment - but for us it's a tad predictable. Especially when the movie essentially hits you with hints, instead of making subtle suggestions. Which unfortunately does take a little of the sting out of the nightmare. So as much as you are gripped by Kate's attempts to fix things, you're never really on the edge of your seat.
Thankfully that doesn't make it any less satisfying to watch Kate - with the help of her very nice friend, Leslie (Fiona Shaw) - try to get out from under. But the real question revolves around her relationship with Claire and whether she'll learn to say 'no'. Something the movie handles very well, as it speaks to the damage that drug addiction causes. Kate certainly learns some horrifying things about her daughter along the way. And with all she's done, can she ever truly trust Claire? It's a question that the movie doesn't necessarily answer. Leaving us to wonder not only what Kate will do, but also what we would do in her place.
Moore and Sweeney are magnificent in this hard-hitting but predictable tale of drugs and the drive to protect our children.
8/10
Echo Valley is available to view on Apple TV+.
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