The Daughter

Film Review by David McGinty | 07 Mar 2016
Film title: The Daughter
Director: Simon Stone
Starring: Geoffrey Rush, Sam Neill, Odessa Young, Paul Schneider, Miranda Otto, Ewan Leslie

Geoffrey Rush and Paul Schneider star in this familial drama inspired by Henrik Ibsen’s The Wild Duck

The Daughter begins with a father-son tension. As a local mill shuts down, heralding the collapse of a small town, Christian (Paul Schneider), the estranged son of the mill owner (Geoffrey Rush) returns home for his father’s wedding. The fallout of these events proves catastrophic for the community and for one family in particular.

This debut feature from theatre director Simon Stone is a heart-wrenching piece inspired by Henrik Ibsen’s The Wild Duck, and 'inspired by' – rather than 'adapted from' – is definitely the appropriate credit. Stone previously directed an acclaimed modern update of this Ibsen masterpiece for the stage and The Daughter seems to suggest that its themes are almost infinitely recyclable.

Ewen Leslie and Odessa Young deliver standout performances as the central father and daughter. The nuances of their relationship provide the foundations for the drama and Stone affords them the time and focus to develop a feeling of genuine intimacy. If Stone’s The Wild Duck can be seen as a sibling of Ibsen’s play, then The Daughter is a distant cousin with a striking family resemblance.


The Daughter screened at Glasgow Film Festival and is released 20 May by Metrodome.

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