Somewhere in the hills, a woman runs. She is desperate, pushing herself well past her limits to escape something. An antique pickup truck revs as it pushes over the crest of a hill. Inside sit two people wearing full-face respirators. The truck comes to a halt as the woman seems to tire out and her pursuers leave the vehicle. One pushes her to the ground and bludgeons her with a hammer. Sometime later, a woman kneels in a garage chained to the floor. A man uncovers her face and promises her she will come to no harm so long as she behaves.
Before he leaves, he tells her she will answer to ‘Daughter’ or ‘Sister.’ As the days pass, Daughter earns the privilege of leaving the garage and meeting the rest of the family. She learns their bizarre secret: Father has convinced his son that the air outside is filled with disease and anyone who goes outside is infected and must die. Will Daughter escape, or will the tiny cult spell her doom?
Daughter is a highly ambitious and surprisingly small undertaking. Each shot oozes beauty in its composition, the musical score does wonders to create an aesthetic of dread, and each actor’s performance is fantastic. The film’s overambition is perhaps its only flaw. The thriller elements are obvious but don’t go anywhere as multiple sub-plots come up but remain underexplored or unresolved.
Father’s unclear motivations make for some excellent horror, but we never learn why he does what he does. This lack of resolution will leave some viewers frustrated while others will be intrigued, trying to come up with their own explanations.
The cinematography is stunning. Shot on 16mm film with minimal artificial lighting, there is a simple beauty in every shot, and the use of darkness is as surprising as it is satisfying. Those looking for a creepy art film or realistic psych-horror will be very pleased with Daughter. Highly Recommended.
Where does this title belong on public library shelves?
Daughter is an obvious choice for horror shelves, but may also fit into some thriller or drama collections.
What would interest patrons most about this title?
The cinematography and eerie mood of Daughter are the film’s biggest draw.