There's no shortage of "dysfunctional family movies and terminal-illness movies. And even the good ones have trouble sidestepping clichés", said Justin Chang on NPR. So "it says something that 'His Three Daughters', which is about a dysfunctional family coping with a terminal illness, doesn't feel like a retread".
A "sharply written" chamber piece, it is set over a few days in an apartment in Manhattan, where three sisters have gathered to say their goodbyes to their dying father Vincent (Jay O. Sanders). The oldest of the daughters is Katie (Carrie Coon), who lives in nearby Brooklyn but hasn't visited Vincent much lately; then there's Rachel (Natasha Lyonne), a stoner who has been acting as his carer; and finally Christina (Elizabeth Olsen), who seems to lead a charmed life miles from New York.
The acting and writing "have such specificity" that you soon feel intimately acquainted with the characters; and the ending is both "optimistic and deeply affecting". This is a film that, "in the shadow of death, says something essential about how we live".
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
An absorbing gem about the "shifting sands within family relationships", "His Three Daughters" has a clever, witty script, and boasts some excellent performances, said Brian Viner in the Daily Mail. Olsen in particular is exquisite, somehow turning "the least interesting role into the most watchable".
I thought Lyonne was terrific, said Tim Robey in The Telegraph. But mainly, alas, because she comes across as a "breath of fresh air" in an otherwise stultifyingly heavy-handed film. With just one poky set, the cast seem "stuck on a stage, doing the modern equivalent of cut-rate Chekhov".
-
'The question is what it does for the ecosystem'Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
August 26 editorial cartoonsCartoons Tuesday’s political cartoons include a simple guide to gerrymandering, a MAGA-approved Cracker Barrel logo, and an FBI raid at John Bolton's house
-
Four royal holiday hotspotsThe Week Recommends Follow in the footsteps of royalty and experience the charm of some of their most popular getaways
-
8 hotels with ace tennis courtsThe Week Recommends Bring your A game
-
The 5 best zombie movies of all timeThe Week Recommends Ghouls feasting on flesh have been a staple of cinema for more than 50 years
-
Ford Ranger Plug-in Hybrid: 'more than just a novelty'The Week Recommends Europe's first plug-in hybrid pickup is 'surprisingly agile'
-
6 lush homes in the treesFeature Featuring a glass house in Texas and a home built for a Broncos quarterback in Colorado
-
7 travel fragrances that let you smell good on the goThe Week Recommends Spritz away!
-
Brooklyn vs. the Beckhams: trouble in paradiseIn the Spotlight Scion of the Beckham clan and billionaire heiress wife Nicola Peltz staged an elaborate vow renewal – and none of his family were on the guest list
-
Alien: Earth – a 'bold' prequel to the space horror classicThe Week Recommends Set two years before Alien, new Disney show pays 'homage' to the original
-
Music reviews: Ethel Cain, Amaarae, and The Black KeysFeature "Willoughby Tucker, I'll Always Love You," "Black Star," and "No Rain, No Flowers"
