Film Review: Echo Valley – A Gripping, Uneasy Meditation on Love, Loss, and the Price of Protection

By Rebeca Riofrio

I had the pleasure of attending an exclusive screening of Echo Valley, presented in collaboration with ELLE Collective. The evening was elevated by an insightful conversation between director Michael Pearce and Lena de Casparis, Cultural Editor at ELLE UK. It was truly a delight to be in the company of so many familiar and creative minds, including Audrey Gedrimaitė, Mason Smillie, Julia Hurley, and Christian Noces.

Conversation between director Michael Pearce and Lena de Casparis, Cultural Editor at ELLE UK

Brad Ingelsby, acclaimed for Mare of Easttown, returns with another brooding Pennsylvanian drama—this time a slow-burning psychological thriller, elevated by the gravitas of Julianne Moore and the electrifying presence of Sydney Sweeney. Directed by Pearce and co-produced by Ridley Scott, Echo Valley initially promises a tightly wound domestic mystery. While the result is, at times, uneven, it is undeniably a haunting exploration of maternal instinct, trauma, and the quiet devastation addiction leaves in its wake.

Moore plays Kate, a grief-stricken woman clinging to solitude and routine on her dilapidated farm, where she trains horses and gives riding lessons.

Having lost her wife and endured a painful divorce from her ex-husband (played with precise arrogance by Kyle MacLachlan), Kate’s emotional world is fragile. The only light in her life is her daughter Claire (Sweeney)—beautiful, volatile, and consumed by her battle with drug addiction.

When Claire returns home unexpectedly, asking for help in her usual manipulative pout, Kate is once again drawn into her daughter’s chaos. Things escalate when Kate encounters Jackie Lyman (Domhnall Gleeson in an unsettling turn), a menacing figure from Claire’s criminal entanglements. What follows is a disturbing descent into moral compromise, testing the very limits of maternal love and moral integrity.

While the first half of the film is taut and deeply atmospheric, the latter portion unravels into implausibility. Twists stack upon twists, until the emotional resonance threatens to be eclipsed by melodrama. Yet there are genuine moments of brilliance: the recurring presence of the eerily still lake becomes a character in itself—a symbol of silence, secrecy, and the cold consequences of bad decisions. One cannot help but be reminded of Tilda Swinton’s role in The Deep End (2001), or the classical American thrillers like Leave Her to Heaven (1945) and A Place in the Sun (1951), all of which echo through Echo Valley’s tonal palette.

What grounds the film, however, is Julianne Moore’s extraordinary performance. Her Kate is a woman undone—not just by grief, but by the agonising weight of loving someone who keeps falling. Fiona Shaw provides a welcome, sharp-edged warmth as Jessie, the practical neighbour who reminds us of the humanity still possible in fractured lives. Sydney Sweeney is convincing as the manipulative yet vulnerable Claire, though one wishes her screen time had allowed for a deeper exploration of mother and daughter dynamics.

From a social lens, Echo Valley cuts painfully close to the bone. As someone familiar with the devastating impact of addiction on families, I found myself deeply moved. In the UK, approximately 10% of the population has used illicit drugs, with a growing number facing addiction. Behind every statistic is a mother, a daughter, a family grappling with despair, financial ruin, and emotional exhaustion. This film will undoubtedly resonate with many—especially those silently enduring the nightmare of watching a loved one self-destruct.

Echo Valley is not perfect. The plot stretches believability, and the finale teeters into overwrought territory. But it remains an emotionally compelling portrait of a woman forced to become both protector and prisoner of her own maternal love. It is a reminder that behind every headline about addiction, there is a heart breaking quietly in the shadows.

Conversation between director Michael Pearce and Lena de Casparis, Cultural Editor at ELLE UK

Verdict: A must-watch for its haunting emotional truths, though viewers should brace for narrative leaps. A powerful performance by Moore makes it linger long after the credits roll.

Echo Valley is now showing in cinemas and streaming on Apple TV+ from 13 June.