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Set in rural Pennsylvania, Echo Valley stars Julianne Moore as a grieving mother pushed to the brink of how far she can go for her daughter. Directed by Beast filmmaker Michael Pearce and written by Mare of Easttown creator Brad Ingelsby, this Apple TV+ thriller harkens back to a bygone era of subdued potboilers anchored by strong performances.
We meet Kate Garretson (Moore) on her small farm, listening to voicemails left by her late wife. Her grief has left her detached from life, cancelling her only income of teaching horse riding to teens. The barn is falling apart, and her ex-husband (Kyle MacLachlan, who appears in only one scene) won’t pay $9,000 to repair it.
Kate has bigger issues than a decaying farm. Her daughter Claire (Sydney Sweeney) is becoming more and more troubled. She bounces in and out of rehab, struggling with addiction and a problematic boyfriend. During an argument, she throws out her boyfriend’s possessions and accidentally dumps drugs that belong to a local drug dealer, Jackie (Domhnall Gleeson). Now, Claire is in debt to Jackie and finds herself turning to her mother for help. When she comes home crying and covered in blood that is not her own, Kate finds it impossible to not go to any lengths possible to help her daughter.
Echo Valley smartly puts in the work to build up the world and introduce characters to the audience. The groundwork means that by the time Kate has to grapple with just how far she’ll go to help her daughter, audiences are investing in the mother/daughter dynamic. The loss of Kate’s wife only heightens the fear that Kate might lose her only child.
There is no plot point wasted in Echo Valley. Every subplot, throwaway comment, and character has a use. The script is unshowy but tightly written. While the first act isn’t doing anything new, the second and third acts have some unexpected twists up their sleeve. If you’re concerned that you have seen this film before, keep watching because Ingelsby’s script finds lots of new ground to explore within the genre. Sometimes, the trip goes on unrealistic detours, but the tight writing and performances will help audiences suspend their disbelief.
After creating Mare of Easttown, Brad Ingelsby understands how to write generations of women and knows how to create believable relationships between female family members. As bold and complicated as Claire and Kate’s web of stickiness gets, Iglesby and Pearce never lose focus.
Films like Echo Valley that are heavily character-driven rely on the performance. Julianne Moore is incapable of not adding depth to her characters. Every moment and reaction is imbued with her grief. She is visibly weighed down by grief and loneliness, which allows the audience to understand why she has such an obligation to her troubled daughter. We never met Moore’s late wife; we simply heard the voicemail, yet we completely understand the pain and loss thanks to her performance. While Kate’s subdued reaction to the world around her is due to her grief, her lack of reaction to her daughter possibly killing someone comes across as psychopathic.
Sydney Sweeney makes a small but memorable performance as Claire. She throws herself into the role, which is uglier and more animalistic than the star has ever been seen before. Sweeney does sometimes struggle with some of the nuances of an addict’s volatility. The actress doesn’t always manage to portray Claire’s shifting behavior and motivations. Fiona Shaw has a weirdly minor role as Kate’s supportive friend who is concerned about her isolation.
Domhnall Gleeson is a great actor, but he lacks the menace to play a role like Jackie. This is the second Apple TV+ film after Fountain of Youth that has misused the Irish actor’s talent. His local drug deal is supposed to be frightening, but mostly he just comes across as a creepy dirtbag. The script tells you he’s dangerous, but his performance doesn’t quite sell that notion.
Technically, Echo Valley feels very straight to streamer, even when the filmmakers unevenly try to elevate the material with cinematic tricks. Cinematographer Benjamin Kračun (The Substance) mixes conventional Steadicam work with oddly placed slow-motion and confusing high angles. The uneven mix of camera work makes the film look ununified and like the filmmakers are trying too hard to give the more generic scenes intrigue.
Echo Valley starts like a generic tale of a fraught relationship between a mother and her drug-addicted daughter, but soon takes an unexpected turn. The film builds up the characters in the first act before turning it all on its head for a smart second, before closing with a slightly underwhelming third act. The plot heads toward a last-minute police procedural plot instead of spending time with the characters in the fallout of the drama.
Although at times uninspired, Echo Valley’s tight script, layered performances, and second-act twist elevate it beyond a trashy thriller. While the ending perhaps pushes the concept of unconditional love too far, the ride there will keep you hooked.
Score: B
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Echo Valley
Kate lives a secluded life—until her troubled daughter shows up, frightened and covered in someone else's blood. As Kate unravels the shocking truth, she learns just how far a mother will go to try to save her child.
Release Date: June 13, 2025
Director: Michael Pearce
Cast: Julianne Moore , Sydney Sweeney , Domhnall Gleeson
