ECHO VALLEY
(director/writer: Michael Pearce; screenwriter: Brad Inglesby; cinematographer: Benjamin Kracun; editor: Maya Maffioli; music: Jed Kurzel; cast: Julianne Moore (Kate Garrelson), Sydney Sweeney (Claire Garrelson), Domhnall Gleeson (Jackie Lawson), Fiona Shaw (Leslie Oliver), Edmund Donovan (Ryan Sinclair), Albert Jones (Der. Ballard), Kyle MacLachlan (Richard Garrelson), Kristina Valada-Viars (Patty); Runtime: 105; MPAA Rating: R; producers: Michael Pruss, Ridley Scott; Apple TV+; 2025)
“Skillfully directed.”
Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz
The gripping domestic psychological thriller is set in rural Pennsylvania, on a horse ranch. It’s skillfully directed by Michael Pearce (“Encounter”/”Beast”) and finely written by Brad Inglesby as a character study.
The middle-aged Kate Garrelson (Julianne Moore) still hasn’t recovered from the recent death of her lesbian partner (Kristina Valada-Viars). She’s also divorced from her wealthy land-owner husband Richard (Kyle MacLachlan) and lives on a broken-down isolated horse ranch, where her ex refuses to help with some additional expenses to the barn. Kate also has a troubled young adult daughter who needs her help when she gets into a serious jam.
Her daughter Claire (Sydney Sweeney) has been going on and off to rehab for her heroin problem, and is seeing a boy (Edmund Donovan) who is a small-time drug-dealer. By mistake mom unloads the heroin she finds on Claire that belong to the menacing small-time local drug dealer Jackie (Domhnall Gleeson, Irish actor), which makes Claire in debt to the creepy dealer. When Claire accidentally kills her boyfriend and fails to call the police, she urgently ask mom for her help, in which mom would have to cross the line.
Fiona Shaw has a good turn playing mom’s supportive best friend. But Julianne Moore carries the limited film with her emotionally riveting performance.
REVIEWED ON 6/19/2025 GRADE: B-
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