His Three Daughters: Heartfelt Exploration of Family and Grief

From writer-director Azazel Jacobs (French Exit, The Lovers) comes this bittersweet and often funny story of an elderly patriarch and the three grown daughters who come to be with him in his final days. Katie (Carrie Coon) is a controlling Brooklyn mother dealing with a wayward teenage daughter; free-spirited Christina (Elizabeth Olsen) is a different kind of mom, separated from her offspring for the first time; and Rachel (Natasha Lyonne) is a sports-betting stoner who has never left her father’s apartment — much to the chagrin of her stepsisters, who share a different mother and worldview. Continuing his astute exploration of family dynamics in close-knit spaces, Jacobs follows the siblings over the course of three volatile days, as death looms, grievances erupt, and love seeps through the cracks of a fractured home.

REVIEW:

His Three Daughters” is a film that tried to be different and still seem familiar and comfortable. Directed by Azazel Jacobs, the movie is a subtle lesson in emotional manipulation.

The plot, which revolves around three sisters reuniting after their father’s death, is a refreshing take on familial dysfunction. The script, also written by Jacobs manages, to infuse the dialogue with just enough wit and wisdom to keep it real. The conversations, teeter on the edge of cliché but are delivered with such conviction that you feel the angst, the conflicts, the tortured interiors.

The actresses are the film’s grace and strength. The eldest daughter played by Carrie Coon , is an actress who knows the difference between grimacing and emoting. She delivers a performance so nuanced that you can’t help but be drawn in. The middle sister Elizabeth Olsen), who could have easily been a forgettable character, is brought to life with a quiet strength that is both compelling and relatable. The youngest sister (Natasha Lyonne) , the supposed free spirit, is a delightful mix of millennial angst and genuine charm.

The director’s obsession with natural lighting pays off, creating scenes that are both beautiful and haunting. The pacing, while deliberate, allows the story to unfold in a way that feels organic and unforced.

“His Three Daughters” is a film that understands the difference between self-importance and significance. It’s the cinematic equivalent of a teenager who just discovered existentialism and actually has something interesting to say about it.