‘Echo Valley’: Julianne Moore Is a Grief-Stricken Mother Who Goes To Extreme Lengths To Enable Her Junkie Daughter

Sandra Miska

A mother’s love may know no bounds, but a stellar Julianne Moore learns a tough lesson after her unconditional love for her drug addicted daughter (Sydney Sweeney) leads her into some dangerous waters in “Echo Valley,” a generic thriller that poses some interesting ethical questions. Written by “Mare of Easttown” creator Brad Ingelsby, this film follows Kate, a horse trainer living on her farm in Southern Pennsylvania. Still grieving the recent death of her wife, Kate opens up her home (and her wallet) once again to her troubled adult daughter, Claire, despite making a pact with her ex-husband, Richard (Kyle MacLaughlin), that neither of them would continue to enable her. A part of Kate seems to know that Claire’s demons are not that far in the rearview, but nothing prepares her for what happens when she shows up with a dead body in her car.

Despite what the viewer knows about Claire’s past, one cannot help but empathize with Kate after she returns home following a messy breakup with her boyfriend, Ryan (Edmund Donovan). Kate is in a vulnerable state, and Claire is pretty much all she has left. Earlier, she visits Richard to ask for money to fix her roof, and what he says to her about standing firm when it comes to Claire makes sense. However, what is left unsaid is that he has a new wife and a do-over daughter, while Kate is alone. 

Ingelsby takes his time getting to the thriller part of the film, but those early scenes between Claire and Kate are emotionally stirring, as Kate sees glimpses of the best version of her daughter and wants nothing more than for her to lead a normal life, and she pushes her to consider community college. However, all of this hope evaporates after Ryan shows up. An ugly scene transpires as Kate refuses to give Claire money before the pair disappear into the night. When Claire does return, she comes with the aforementioned dead body. Shockingly (or not), Kate does what she has to do to once again “save” Claire, only to have her take off again.

The film really kicks into gear when Jackie (Domhnall Gleeson), a drug dealer to whom Claire is indebted, comes sniffing around. Kate tries to pay him off with Richard’s roof money, which proves to be a mistake, as drug dealers are not known for being the most honorable businesspeople, and he already smells blood in the water. Gleeson delivers as the slimy villain whom Kate is forced to coexist with a tense third act that includes twists and turns.

“Echo Valley”  is one of those films that will divide viewers. Some, mostly parents, will understand Kate’s most extreme actions, while others will be left baffled, even angered, by her allowing herself to be so badly used by Claire. While the scenes between Moore and Gleeson are some of the best in the film, there is something wanting with how things are left between Kate and Claire. By making Jackie the main villain, some of the blame is taken away from the absent Claire. After so much time is devoted to the mother-daughter relationship in the first two acts, how things are left between the pair feels rushed and unsatisfying. 

“Echo Valley” begins streaming June 13 on Apple TV+.