As someone with a particular appreciation for intimate, morally ambiguous thrillers, my expectations for Echo Valley were naturally high. The presence of an acclaimed actress like Julianne Moore (The Room Next Door), paired with the rising talent of Sydney Sweeney (Euphoria), was already enough to pique my interest, but it was actually the name Michael Pearce, director of the underrated and overlooked Encounter, that sealed my positive anticipation. Add to that a screenplay by Brad Ingelsby (The Way Back), and the ingredients were there.
Echo Valley tells the story of Kate (Moore), a mother marked by loss, living in isolation on a horse ranch. Her quietly troubled life is upended by the unexpected return of her daughter Claire (Sweeney), who’s involved in a dangerous drug-related scheme. As past and present collide, Kate is forced to confront just how far she’s willing to go to protect the one she loves – even if it means crossing irreversible moral lines.
Echo Valley Review
Ingelsby’s premise rests on the classic theme of parental love’s limits: in this case, what’s a mother willing to do to protect her daughter? Are there ethical boundaries that must never be crossed, even when protection turns into complicity? That’s the central question that Echo Valley explores. While its narrative structure remains within the familiar mold of a dramatic thriller, Pearce’s direction and the strength of the performances give it a captivating emotional weight.
Moore delivers one of her most restrained, somber performances in recent years. Kate is a woman devastated by grief, yet still anchored by an almost utopian idea of maternal love. Moore masterfully controls the stillness of dialogue in moments that are anything but calm – her empty stares, meaningful pauses, and subtle shifts all contribute to building a credible character who becomes increasingly complex as she descends into darker and darker decisions. It’s an interpretation that rejects easy dramatics and leans into internal tension.
Sweeney, in a more emotionally heightened register, plays Claire with a blend of raw desperation and calculated manipulation. Her character is both victim and villain, and the ambiguity Sweeney brings to every action – sometimes childlike in her pleading, other times chillingly cold – ensures the viewer is never quite sure of her true intentions. One particular scene stands out, in which Claire manipulates her mother’s empathy with just a simple gesture and look – a raw demonstration of how addiction and trauma can distort familial bonds.
Domhnall Gleeson (Ex Machina), as Jackie, enters as a menacing, unpredictable presence – a constant shadow looming over the fate of the two protagonists. While the screenplay doesn’t grant him much screen time or depth, the actor makes enough of an impression to establish the necessary sense of danger.
Narratively, the movie unfolds as a thriller of unexpected but well-grounded twists. The palpable tension is supported by effective direction that prioritizes emotional progression over spectacle. Pearce maps out the key plot points with precision, guiding the audience through a labyrinth of suspicions, red herrings, and morally gray decisions. Even though Ingelsby’s script leans on some predictable structural beats – including standard reveals and overt explanations – the film’s tonal and pacing control ensures each twist lands as intended, never feeling forced or gratuitous.
Still, the most frustrating aspect lies in the resolution of the dynamic arc between mother and daughter. After a consistently passionate, dramatic build-up, the conclusion of their relationship feels abrupt and unsatisfying, almost as if Echo Valley prefers to focus solely on resolving the mechanics of its blackmail-driven plot rather than offering a genuine emotional reconciliation. There’s a missed opportunity to further explore the family traumas and alienation that accumulate throughout the story. Kate’s lingering grief, Claire’s response to her parents’ divorce, and the addiction that erodes their foundation – all are thematically rich elements that, unfortunately, fall short in the movie’s final stretch.
Even so, the film finds subtlety in other, more technical areas. Jed Kurzel’s (Monkey Man) score is understated but immersive, creating an ever-present atmosphere of unease. Benjamin Kracun’s (The Substance) cinematography is another highlight, going beyond the harsh, realist aesthetic of the rural setting. There’s a clear visual intent here: the repetition of shots and compositions between the first and third acts suggests psychological cycles. When Kate returns to the same place as in the opening scene, but with a different expression and posture, it’s impossible not to feel the weight of her inner transformation. These small details give Echo Valley a more refined formal identity than its sometimes formulaic story would suggest.
Thematically, Echo Valley effectively touches on several open wounds of contemporary society. Manipulation within families, the silent toll of drug addiction, the invisible impact of divorce on children, and, above all, grief. All are explored through a morally ambiguous lens. Kate represents the illusion that unconditional love is inherently virtuous when, in reality, it can be a path to self-destruction. Her moral descent isn’t abrupt but the result of a series of choices rooted in blind loyalty to the concept of motherhood. Claire, on the other hand, embodies a lost youth who sees her mother’s vulnerability as a tool for survival, even at the cost of the trust between them.
Is Echo Valley worth watching?
Echo Valley is an effective thriller that blends emotional and narrative tension with strong performances and technical finesse. While it doesn’t break the conventions of the genre or explore all of its central themes in depth, it offers enough atmosphere, twists, and intensity to merit attention. Michael Pearce once again proves himself to be a filmmaker attuned to human complexity, even when working within the limits of genre cinema. It may not be a memorable triumph as a whole, but it challenges the boundaries of love and morality through powerful turns by Julianne Moore and Sydney Sweeney, never losing the entertainment value needed to win over its target audience.
Echo Valley releases on Apple TV+ on June 13.
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