'Daughter' Review: Captivating in Every Sense of the Word
She is assured that she won’t be harmed. She will be living here for a couple of years, where she is needed. Her name is Daughter, or Sister, depending on who’s talking to her. Of course, whether she is happy, or whether she is punished, that’s entirely up to her.
Thus begins Daughter, a claustrophobic thriller set mostly in a single house, focused around a family which would make the Mansons shudder. To describe it as cult-like would be stating the obvious. The family unit is led by Father (Casper Van Dien), an imposing man who can command, inspire, and terrify with a single glance. His iron will keeps everything in order, and everyone else in line. Always at his side is Mother (Elyse Dinh). In keeping with a nuclear family, Mother is the one who cooks, cleans, and provides a soft-hearted nature to smooth out the roughness of Father’s stern authority. They also have a frail and sickly son, known as Brother (Ian Alexander). Father insists that everything he does is for the betterment of his son, which includes keeping everyone indoors to avoid the rampant sickness which has apparently ruined the outside world.
The film’s protagonist, however, is Sister (Vivien Ngô). She is forced to exist in this little home, forced to accept her place in it or else be punished. Her relationships with Father, Mother, and Brother slowly develop as she learns how to navigate through this eerie territory. It is an atmosphere of quiet dread which permeates the story. It is chilling enough when Father gives Sister a baleful glance, but it’s almost worse when Mother and Brother pretend all is well when absolutely everything is wrong.
There are no weak spots in the performances; all four leads give utterly convincing performances throughout this story. They are helped by the minimalist set, keeping the action cornered. Minimalist is also how one could describe the cinematography. The camera often sits in one spot, and its unflinching eye sometimes makes one feel like they’re also sitting in this house, trapped in its horror. The film was also shot on grainy 16mm, giving the impression that this film could have taken place yesterday, or 30 years ago.
Daughter is the feature film debut of writer-director Corey Deshon. Deshon has already admitted that he’d written the film before the world learned about COVID-19. In fact, the film was already in post-production when the pandemic swept the globe. But while that might add an unexpected layer to this film, the truth is that Daughter was inspired by the non-fiction book The Ethics of Ambiguity. Written by renowned philosopher and writer Simone de Beauvoir, The Ethics of Ambiguity deals primarily with freedom, and all the questions surrounding the concept. The book’s influence on the story is beyond question, such as when Father goes on one of his rambling lectures. It’s these moments where Van Dien’s performance truly embodies that of a cult leader; he is a fanatic who lashes out at the slightest questioning of his knowledge and authority.
But aside from freedom, the film also plays with the concepts of truth and stories. Right at the beginning, a disclaimer states that this film is based more in fact than fiction. It’s certainly a haunting way to begin the story, but it’s also fitting since Daughter makes us question the reality of what we’re watching. How much of what Father claims is true? Is everything as it seems? Without delving into spoilers, the answers are not always obvious. Where another filmmaker might provide a ridiculous twist and club us over the head with it, Daughter prefers the iceberg approach. We’re never told how Sister ended up in this house, for example, but nor do we necessarily need to know. Additionally, three of the cast members have Vietnamese background, and two of them bond through their knowledge of the Vietnamese language. Father could easily represent the appropriation and re-writing of history, as Europeans and Americans did for centuries, right up to the present day.
Daughter is certainly worth seeing if you’re a fan of thought-provoking thrillers. Your appreciation for subtlety and ambiguity will impact how much you like this film, as will your interest in the sort of film which you could easily write pages about in a film studies course.