Julianne Moore gives a quiet, simmering performance as Kate, a woman in the wake of tragedy who’s isolated herself into a life of training horses and awaiting the next time her daughter, Claire (Sydney Sweeney), shows up looking for drug money. When Claire arrives on her doorstep with a body and a story of abuse, Kate jumps into action to keep her daughter out of trouble, instead putting herself in the line of fire.
Kate’s story gets more complicated when shady characters start showing up at her door, threatening to reveal her secrets. She’ll stop at nothing to protect her daughter, but we begin to question whether her daughter deserves such unwavering devotion. What does Claire know that she doesn’t, and at what point do you trust an untrustworthy character because they’re your child?
This dark, mysterious tale unfurls as a slow burn and leaves its audience unsettled and hollowed. How much Kate cares for Claire and how little Claire considers her mother battle each other. Echo Valley is certainly worth a stream when you’re in the mood for a moody murder mystery. Sweeney and Moore both give nuanced performances, and the twists are truly surprising. (104 min.)
—Anna Starkey
This article appears in Jun 26 – Jul 6, 2025.