'Echo Valley's' Script Barely Floats Above Shallow Water
A good thriller doesn't necessarily have to be a great one. In this case, Echo Valley will likely be a movie that entertains but ultimately won't leave a lasting impression. It's a movie that subverts expectations while also playing it safe. The film is a typical family drama that's laced with simplistic dialogue. When the big twists come, they're surprising yet not shocking. Halfway through, the script becomes a page-turner, making the viewer curious to see how our characters will wiggle their way out of a bad situation. If they do, that is.
From the first few shots of the movie, an overused metaphor for drowning is evident. The first scene is of a lake, and the film transitions to dark blue lighting as Kate Garretson (Julianne Moore) lies in bed, slowly breathing, trying to prevent a panic attack. After that, we cut to a bucket of water. Kate squeezes a cloth into it, causing the puddles to wave. It's all meant to resemble a drowning body that becomes rapidly more unsubtle as the plot progresses. The story begins with a family that has been separated for some time. Kate's daughter Claire (Sydney Sweeney) is a manipulating drug addict who takes advantage of her mother's money.
Her father, Richard (Kyle MacLachlan), is divorced from her mother. He wants to get Claire help, while Kate continues to enable her. Children can end up a mess if they're not taught enough discipline, and Claire is a perfect example of what happens. The story indicates how the parents got separated. It wasn't Claire so much as it was a semi-plot twist, which, although complicated, is delivered in a lackadaisical manner, losing much of its impact. If the twist is the reason why Kate and Richard split, it shouldn't be revealed in the second act. Just be upfront about it and add it to the one scene where we see Richard and her together. It would add more nuance and less screen time.
Being a druggy, Claire gets involved with the wrong people causing her to kill someone who was threatening her. Claire owed money to some drug dealers who took things too far. How Kate handles Claire's dilemma brings up the age-old question, "How far would you go to save your child?" Because of her unconditional love for her kid, Kate digs herself into a hole from which she may not be able to escape.
The movie hits its highest point when Jackie Lawson enters the picture. Domhnall Gleeson is almost unrecognizable as a junkie. He's an intimidating thug who, although unintelligent, is cunning enough to devise a clever scheme to recover his money. Gleeson's American accent is spot on, as are his twitchy mannerisms. Everyone else is serviceable. Even Julianne Moore is just okay since she's asked to hold back when restraint isn't her forte.
Echo Valley is a bit too melodramatic, containing characters that could be plucked from any other family drama. Each role is more of a stereotype than a fully rounded person. The only one who is the most three-dimensional is Kate, who's still not that interesting a person. Probably, it's because there's nothing new to Kate compared to most other movie moms.
She's the mother who will do anything to defend her child. What about a parent who has to let go of their child? Now, that requires a little more contextualization than easy thrills. There's also a subplot with Fiona Shaw that plays a role later in the film, but the part could have been cut. Shaw is a great actress, but her character is boring, dragging the length of an already short film, which feels longer than it actually is. Echo Valley is a serviceable thriller that unfortunately doesn’t contain much rewatch value. Luckily, you won’t have to venture out to the theater to see it.
Echo Valley Premieres on Apple TV+ this Friday.
