Echo Valley - Review 

Rating: 3 out of 5

HOW far will a mother go to protect her daughter? That’s the question at the centre of Echo Valley, one made even more intriguing by the fact it’s been posed by Brad Ingelsby, creator of TV’s superb Mare of Easttown.

But while consistently enjoyable, and elevated by a typically strong central performance from Julianne Moore, Michael Pearce’s film doesn’t manage to hit the same heights as Easttown.

The story follows Kate (Moore), a grieving, lonely mother who trains horses and gives riding lessons on the failing farm she now owns, much to the frustration of her judgemental ex-husband Richard (Kyle MacLachlan), who finds himself still constantly having to bail her out financially.

Kate’s existence is mostly a lonely one since the passing of her lesbian wife, save for a loyal frown and neighbour, Jessie (Fiona Shaw), and her spoiled, drug addicted daughter Claire (Sydney Sweeney), who has selfishly used up most of Kate’s money on pointless rehab programmes.

When Claire returns home in desperate need of more help, with a nasty drug dealer named Jackie Lyman (Domhnall Gleeson) not far behind, Kate must decide whether to draw a line or do what she can to support Claire - eventually finding her hand forced by Claire’s admission that she has killed her boyfriend following a row.

Kate decides to take charge and disposes of the body, inadvertently triggering a chain of events that places what’s left of her livelihood in serious jeopardy.

To be fair to Echo Valley, the film starts strongly and contains a couple of decent twists, while also allowing its quality cast to fulfil their potential.

Moore is typically solid, veering between heartbroken and exploited, before tapping into a fierce survival instinct on behalf of both herself and her daughter. Sweeney, for her part, is suitably hideous as the manipulative Claire, using her mother’s love for selfish gain, and going full on hysterical when she doesn’t get her own way.

And both Gleason and Shaw are typically reliable in their roles: the former suitably nasty as the main villain, and Shaw a nicely loyal and strong-minded friend.

Inglesby’s screenplay also keeps you guessing as the odds become increasingly stacked against Kate, while Moore’s performance is strong enough and sympathetic enough to keep you rooting for her, no matter how you may find yourself wrestling with some of her decision making.

Perhaps the biggest problem surrounding Echo Valley (by comparison to Easttown, say) is the character of Claire, who simply isn’t likeable enough to add any real complexity to the central dilemma. Sweeney, while good, could have benefited from a little more screen time to perhaps flesh out more of a character.

Gleeson’s villain also lacks any depth, with some of his latter decision making feeling more contrived than convincing.

Inglesby’s writing on Easttown was so nuanced that every character shone, while the morality at play was suitably complex. You really invested in those characters. They felt lived in. They felt real… trapped in lives that were further complicated by the crime that drove the story.

Here, barring Moore’s central character, character interaction and motivation seems more driven by the crimes and the needs of the story, which feels more manufactured. Perhaps that’s a consequence of the tight movie format, as opposed to Easttown’s limited series.

But if you’re not looking for anything too challenging, Echo Valley is competent enough to keep you engaged - and Moore is always a leading lady worth watching.

Certificate: 15

Running time: 1hr 43mins