Daughter (V) (2022) User Reviews

Solid premise that doesn't quite reach its potential

[thomas_mann90 · 6/10 · 1 March 2023]

It's a decent film which provides enough tension to keep you interested. Personally, I would have preferred more depth and back story. I don't normally say this, but the film could have benefited from being an extra 20-30 minutes longer.

There are whispers of interesting sub-plots which don't ever get off the ground. This film in part, has a bit of an identity crisis as it doesn't know whether it is a thriller, drama or even an art house film at times. It results in a memorable yet underwhelming film.

I still enjoyed watching this film but am ultimately left disappointed with the wasted potential this great story could have been.

An Unsettling Cult Thriller with Promising Performances

[FilmFanatic2023 · 6/10 · 11 February 2023]

A cult/hostage thriller about two kidnappers and their captive, who are forced to play a bizarre family game. The film opens with a young woman being chased by a pickup truck and is later kidnapped by the two people inside, who are wearing gas masks. The movie is shot on 16mm film and has long takes, giving it a sense of mystery.

The kidnappers self-identify as Father and Mother and their captive is called Daughter. Father chains Daughter up in his garage and explains to her that his son needs a sibling for two years, and she must fulfill her familial obligations. Mother reassures Daughter in Vietnamese, and their early conversation helps to establish the film's unsettling mood.

Father establishes generic expectations and ground rules and tells his son that the world outside is sick. Mother encourages Daughter to go along to get along, and Son tries to please Father. Daughter and Son collaborate on a play for his birthday, which creates a strange contest of wills.

The film pays increasing attention to Daughter's attempts to influence her surrogate Brother through their play. The cast does well, with Ngô standing out, especially in scenes with Dinh's Mother. Van Dien takes on the most thankless role and does well as a rage case nutball.

The film has some promise, and Dinh and Ngo are probably the two best reasons to watch. However, spending so much time with Father can be a bit like being trapped on a road trip with a driver who monologues breathlessly. The ending is bitter and unsatisfying, making "Daughter" a long runway to a steep cliff.

We gained the world.

[nogodnomasters · 5/10 · 5 August 2023]

In the opening we see a girl hunted down and killed by Father (Casper Van Dien) and Mother (Elyse Dinh). They are wearing filtered masks but are able to run her down. We next see another Vietnamese girl (Vivien Ngô) chained up in the garage. She is told by Father he name is Daughter or Sister. She is is be the sister of brother (Ian Alexander) who is Father's son who he over protects. We soon discover that even Mother is a prisoner. The family is a very prime and proper unit. Father instructs son and now daughter on the wicked ways of man that has poisoned the air for their own personal gain called "the finite" as opposed to the immortal soul and the "infinite." Father clearly believes this is some sort of end times, although Christianity or the Bible are never mentioned in spite of the cult like fundamentalist behavior.

One can draw a half dozen or so metaphors or themes to this film that seemed incomplete as in missing the backstory. Did something happen to the planet? Where does the family get the money to buy food? Was the son something special? Is it a metaphor about the Vietnamese boat people who we took in and "Americanized" them? Very irregular.

Guide: No swearing, sex, or nudity.

Lost in a Maze of Unanswered Questions

[KunvarAishwary · 3/10 · 16 August 2023]

The movie presents a perplexing journey filled with narrative gaps and illogical choices. The film stumbles through a maze of plot holes, leaving viewers scratching their heads at the bewildering behaviors of characters. Unfortunately, the antagonist's motives are shrouded in mystery, with no clear explanation for his puzzling actions. The perplexity deepens as the audience grapples with questions like why he kidnaps people to form his 'family' and the murky origins of his so-called son.

The storyline suffers from a lack of coherent reasoning, rendering the antagonist's actions nonsensical and perplexing. As the movie unfolds, you're left grappling with a sense of aimlessness, struggling to find any purpose behind the illogical steps characters take. The result is a cinematic experience that lacks the crucial foundation of a comprehensible narrative.

Even the behavior of the daughter, presumably a central character, adds to the confusion. Her seemingly irrational choices in dire situations defy common sense, contributing to the overall sense of frustration. Instead of prioritizing her own safety, her efforts to 'save' her brainwashed brother come across as bizarre and frustratingly illogical.

"Daughter" is further hampered by a sluggish pace that fails to engage the audience effectively. The lack of clear reasoning behind characters' actions makes it difficult to invest emotionally in their journeys. As a result, what could have been a compelling narrative is reduced to a convoluted and bewildering mess.

Something different but interesting

[catfanatic888 · 7/10 · 29 April 2023]

I rented Daughter because it sounded like something different which I have to say it was. Casper Van Dien plays father but is barely recognizable in this. There is father, mother, son and replaceable daughters because they keep escaping and get murdered. Then they find a new daughter and kidnap her. They are forced to live in their new family unit listening to father's strange pseudo-cultish ramblings. It soon becomes evident that something is wrong in this family and that something even darker is afoot. Why does mother tolerate this situation or is she part of it? Why do they need the daughter? What's up with the seemingly placid son? And obviously what is wrong with father? The answers lie somewhere in this intriguing if quite odd horror movie.