The Lost Daughter
A psychologically acute beachside drama about a woman forced to reckon with the costs of motherhood, ambition, and long-suppressed choices.
Overview
A woman's beach getaway unearths buried memories that threaten to consume her.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- None
- introspective
- unsettling
- melancholic
- quiet evening
- reflective weekend
What critics said
Critics broadly acclaimed Maggie Gyllenhaal's assured direction, the brilliant performances, and the film's daring, morally complex treatment of motherhood.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Leda's present-day encounter with Nina and her daughter revives memories of the conflicting emotions she experienced while raising her own children.
The film refuses to simplify Leda's choices as either justified or condemnable, sustaining discomfort without offering easy absolution.
The doll and other beachside objects become recurring focal points for Leda's memories, anxieties, and relationship to motherhood.
Leda's interactions during her Greek vacation trigger flashbacks to her younger years as a mother, gradually exposing the past shaping her behavior.
Films like The Lost Daughter, and why
We Need to Talk About Kevin
Shared psychologically intimate examination of motherhood, guilt, memory, and morally complicated female experience.
The Hours
Shared contemplative, emotionally unsettling drama about maternal ambivalence, family damage, and repressed personal history.
A Bigger Splash
Shared introspective female-centered drama using a holiday setting to expose desire, alienation, and social performance.
Movie Details
- Director
- Maggie Gyllenhaal
- Release Date
- 2021-12-15
- Runtime
- 122 min
- Rating
- 6.4 / 10 (1159)
Cast
- Olivia Colman
- Jessie Buckley
- Dakota Johnson
- Ed Harris
- Paul Mescal
- Peter Sarsgaard
- Dagmara Dominczyk
- Jack Farthing
- Alba Rohrwacher
- Oliver Jackson-Cohen
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Lost Daughter about?
- A psychologically acute beachside drama about a woman forced to reckon with the costs of motherhood, ambition, and long-suppressed choices.
- What is The Lost Daughter like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Lost Daughter as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is The Lost Daughter violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in The Lost Daughter.
- What did critics think of The Lost Daughter?
- Critics broadly acclaimed Maggie Gyllenhaal's assured direction, the brilliant performances, and the film's daring, morally complex treatment of motherhood.
- Which films are like The Lost Daughter?
- Films with a similar feel include We Need to Talk About Kevin, The Hours, and A Bigger Splash.
- How long is The Lost Daughter?
- The Lost Daughter runs 122 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Lost Daughter?
- In United States, The Lost Daughter streams on Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads.
