There's a hotel that's quite vacant and disturbed, full of ghosts that haunt themselves, it's quite absurd, lots of creepy mist and fog, a really, really lovely dog, and a receptionist presents with some discord. A daughter with her mother settle in, proceed to babble on, the dialogue's quite thin, if you'd made a reservation, you'd need more than just salvation, if you had the room next door, double or twin. There's little to engage or get you thinking, as events unfold, or don't, you'll just start blinking, then your eyelids slowly close, just like Louis you will repose, and into slumber, start to fall, gradually sinking.
26 Reviews
Never justifies its existence
jtindahouse5 December 2022
'The Eternal Daughter' is listed as a mystery drama. The only mystery I had an hour into the film was what exactly the point of me watching it was supposed to be. The film has no plot. It has no intrigue. It has no purpose to exist. This was a very disappointing experience.
Short of Tilda Swinton (in dual roles) being her usual watchable self it was pretty hard to find redeeming qualities in this film. It's is extremely slow - which is always going to be the case when we are effectively just watching a woman's uneventful stay at a hotel.
Thankfully this one is reasonably short, but I can tell you those 96 minutes will draaag. A generous 4/10.
Short of Tilda Swinton (in dual roles) being her usual watchable self it was pretty hard to find redeeming qualities in this film. It's is extremely slow - which is always going to be the case when we are effectively just watching a woman's uneventful stay at a hotel.
Thankfully this one is reasonably short, but I can tell you those 96 minutes will draaag. A generous 4/10.
A horror/mystery movie that isnt horror nor is it mysterious. It is unintentionally quite laughable though...
imseeg4 December 2022
Yeah, it's wintertime, let's produce a CHEAPLY made "horror/mystery" movie, that'll attract viewers. NOT.
The bad: from the get go I noticed that this is a CHEAPLY made television movie, or at least that's what I guess, because everything LOOKS CHEAP, especially the photography, which doesnt come close in making any suspenseful impression.
More bad: the music soundscore is unintentionally quite hilarious. This movie isnt meant to be a parody on horror movies, but it could be, because the soundscore is absolutely annoyingly terrible and full of the most terrible cliches.
Even more bad: Tilda Swinton is THE reason I started watching this movie, because she is one of my all time favorite actresses, BUT she plays a double role (she plays her own mother), which just further flexed my laughing muscles.
It all was intended to be a serious, dark, mystery movie, but it ended up being a laughing stock. And it ended up being a sleeping pill as well, because it is excruciatingly TEDIOUS to watch!
The bad: from the get go I noticed that this is a CHEAPLY made television movie, or at least that's what I guess, because everything LOOKS CHEAP, especially the photography, which doesnt come close in making any suspenseful impression.
More bad: the music soundscore is unintentionally quite hilarious. This movie isnt meant to be a parody on horror movies, but it could be, because the soundscore is absolutely annoyingly terrible and full of the most terrible cliches.
Even more bad: Tilda Swinton is THE reason I started watching this movie, because she is one of my all time favorite actresses, BUT she plays a double role (she plays her own mother), which just further flexed my laughing muscles.
It all was intended to be a serious, dark, mystery movie, but it ended up being a laughing stock. And it ended up being a sleeping pill as well, because it is excruciatingly TEDIOUS to watch!
Very nothing
ncoleby5 December 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Biggest spoiler is really that I knew the 'twist' from the very first scene in the cab. I hoped the whole time to be wrong, but I wasn't.
So I watched the whole film with knowing what was going on and it made it even more boring. I held out though.
The acting wasn't even that good to be honest, sorry Tilda fans.
The only actor that shone like a beacon of light and made me think how he was so spot on in so many scenes, was Louis the Spaniel. Hope he's going to get many more roles, a talent undiscovered.
One thing that I didn't get either was the role of the slightly dodgy receptionist. When I say slightly dodgy I mean ever so slightly. Still polite but with a problematic boyfriend. I hoped there was a reason for this peek into a normal young woman's life, but there wasn't.
I do not recommend this film unless you want something on in the background that doesn't make much noise. This would have even been obvious and boring as a short film. I gave it a 3/5 because it wasn't the worst film I've ever watched, but it certainly was the least surprising mystery in a film and without it, the film becomes useless and tedious.
So I watched the whole film with knowing what was going on and it made it even more boring. I held out though.
The acting wasn't even that good to be honest, sorry Tilda fans.
The only actor that shone like a beacon of light and made me think how he was so spot on in so many scenes, was Louis the Spaniel. Hope he's going to get many more roles, a talent undiscovered.
One thing that I didn't get either was the role of the slightly dodgy receptionist. When I say slightly dodgy I mean ever so slightly. Still polite but with a problematic boyfriend. I hoped there was a reason for this peek into a normal young woman's life, but there wasn't.
I do not recommend this film unless you want something on in the background that doesn't make much noise. This would have even been obvious and boring as a short film. I gave it a 3/5 because it wasn't the worst film I've ever watched, but it certainly was the least surprising mystery in a film and without it, the film becomes useless and tedious.
A horror film gone wrong!
abeeralhossary3 December 2022
Warning: Spoilers
To read that this film got two nominations in a film festival made me eager to watch, but honestly I wasted my time watching it!
The empty hotel, the foggy atmosphere, the cold, the strange sounds, the tombs, all were supposed to make you expect more of ghost stories and a secret to be revealed! However, nothing surprising happened!! Even the ending was really so odd and not surprising at all!!
Such a bad movie, I would say! I do not advice anyone to watch it. It is boring. The story can be a social drama, but not mystery or horror!!
In addition, having the same actress playing the mother and daughter is another reason to make me more confused !!
The empty hotel, the foggy atmosphere, the cold, the strange sounds, the tombs, all were supposed to make you expect more of ghost stories and a secret to be revealed! However, nothing surprising happened!! Even the ending was really so odd and not surprising at all!!
Such a bad movie, I would say! I do not advice anyone to watch it. It is boring. The story can be a social drama, but not mystery or horror!!
In addition, having the same actress playing the mother and daughter is another reason to make me more confused !!
Good drama, but missed opportunities!
slabihoud3 November 2022
A film with Tilda Swinton is always worth watching and so is this one! Though I have to say that I expected a little bit more after I read about the film at the Viennale (Vienna International Film Festival). What irritated me were the tags ghost story, supernatural, spooky and so on. Not that I expected a real horror movie, far from it. But not such a lame attempt of a ghost story.
The film starts out with a scene of a foggy country street and a lonely taxi coming along, quite evocative of old Hammer films of the sixties or early seventies. The main setting in an old country mansion turned hotel was a good choice. As was the rather unfriendly receptionist/waitress/housekeeper who raises a lot of questions in the mind of the viewer and is a highlight of the film. The mother and daughter conflict is very subtly done and evolves beautifully the longer they stay at the hotel, and the absence of other guests is quite unsettling.
But, being in a lonely hotel would make even completely relaxed people jumpy and here we have someone who is in a very difficult stage of her life and we could expect much more unusual things for her to hear or see other than what we get here. Tilda Swinton does her best to make us fell uncomfortable, but with this script there is not much to do. A little fog, some creaky trees and a shot of the moon, my, this is what you get in every other episode of Midsomer Murders, I am sorry to say! That is not upsetting or disturbing anymore, in fact it is a cliché and more of a parody. Besides, we all have seen films of people in empty hotels before and therefore you have to bring some new ideas to this setting.
When the film ended I was disappointed, there would have been chances to lead the viewer around but they are missed. I have guessed from the beginning what is reveiled at the end and that did not satisfy me either, I hoped that some twist eluded me, but no.
The film starts out with a scene of a foggy country street and a lonely taxi coming along, quite evocative of old Hammer films of the sixties or early seventies. The main setting in an old country mansion turned hotel was a good choice. As was the rather unfriendly receptionist/waitress/housekeeper who raises a lot of questions in the mind of the viewer and is a highlight of the film. The mother and daughter conflict is very subtly done and evolves beautifully the longer they stay at the hotel, and the absence of other guests is quite unsettling.
But, being in a lonely hotel would make even completely relaxed people jumpy and here we have someone who is in a very difficult stage of her life and we could expect much more unusual things for her to hear or see other than what we get here. Tilda Swinton does her best to make us fell uncomfortable, but with this script there is not much to do. A little fog, some creaky trees and a shot of the moon, my, this is what you get in every other episode of Midsomer Murders, I am sorry to say! That is not upsetting or disturbing anymore, in fact it is a cliché and more of a parody. Besides, we all have seen films of people in empty hotels before and therefore you have to bring some new ideas to this setting.
When the film ended I was disappointed, there would have been chances to lead the viewer around but they are missed. I have guessed from the beginning what is reveiled at the end and that did not satisfy me either, I hoped that some twist eluded me, but no.
I'm so, so sorry, Louis
biljao2585 December 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Louis, the casting director was so inspired when you were given a key role in this movie. Your talent really shone through as you captured "affection", "endearingness" and "faithfulness" - you also really nailed "valor" as you chased the 'ghost' (?) down the hall. How were you to know that the writer/director based the movie on a single concept story with some rather obvious twists. And then even resorted to several hackneyed 'gothic horror' tropes. Yikes, even a big-name star was not enough. But them's the breaks of the movie industry, Louis. Even a talented actor such as yourself can end up in what some may see as a turkey of a movie. But hopefully, this will lead to bigger and better roles for you.
5.2/10. Watchable but not recommended
athanasiosze20 December 2022
This is not a horror or a mystery movie. This is a drama disguised as a drama/horror mystery. And that's why it fails.
Swinton is amazing as always. It's unreal how convincing she is playing both the mother and the daughter. I mean, i was moved by "their" relationship, these were adorable characters. I really felt their feelings for "each other" and that is kinda insane because the viewer forgets that they are the same person. Hence the 5 stars.
However, this is not a good movie. I didn't mind the slow pace, but this movie has the most unnecessary twist of all time. Unnecessary, illogical and, dare i say, conniving. Because there are some scenes that contradict this particular twist, during this movie. Most of the people see it coming from the beginning of the movie, but then, the director convince the viewer that they got it wrong. And in the end, the thing that most of the people suspected, happened. Without any logical or paranormal explanation. Thus, as a viewer i feel cheated and i can't rate it higher.
This would be a much better movie as an art drama. No twists, no surprises. Just a mother and a daughter, their relationship and their feelings. I would enjoy this movie. You have Tilda Swinton in your movie, you don't need twists and turns. Go full drama, realistic as it gets. Psychological drama-mystery horror is another genre, much more complicated than it seems.
Swinton is amazing as always. It's unreal how convincing she is playing both the mother and the daughter. I mean, i was moved by "their" relationship, these were adorable characters. I really felt their feelings for "each other" and that is kinda insane because the viewer forgets that they are the same person. Hence the 5 stars.
However, this is not a good movie. I didn't mind the slow pace, but this movie has the most unnecessary twist of all time. Unnecessary, illogical and, dare i say, conniving. Because there are some scenes that contradict this particular twist, during this movie. Most of the people see it coming from the beginning of the movie, but then, the director convince the viewer that they got it wrong. And in the end, the thing that most of the people suspected, happened. Without any logical or paranormal explanation. Thus, as a viewer i feel cheated and i can't rate it higher.
This would be a much better movie as an art drama. No twists, no surprises. Just a mother and a daughter, their relationship and their feelings. I would enjoy this movie. You have Tilda Swinton in your movie, you don't need twists and turns. Go full drama, realistic as it gets. Psychological drama-mystery horror is another genre, much more complicated than it seems.
No NOPE No Way
HumphDoesItAgain8 December 2022
This movie was chock full of absolutely nothing! Have you ever tried to have a conversation with your mom or grandma in a doctor's vacant waiting room? Well this movie was much like watching that take place for 96 minutes.
There was zero mystery in this movie. There wasn't even as much as a hint of a ghost story and even the genre drama is even pushing it! The hotel itself was very nice looking & the Brittany Spaniel was adorable & extremely loyal but even he slept thru most of the movie. I'm guessing the main reason for having Tilda Swinton play the 2 main characters was due to the lack of interest from other actresses to be a part of his movie. A24 ya really let us down this time.
There was zero mystery in this movie. There wasn't even as much as a hint of a ghost story and even the genre drama is even pushing it! The hotel itself was very nice looking & the Brittany Spaniel was adorable & extremely loyal but even he slept thru most of the movie. I'm guessing the main reason for having Tilda Swinton play the 2 main characters was due to the lack of interest from other actresses to be a part of his movie. A24 ya really let us down this time.
The Eternal slumber
refbumrulz20 December 2022
I'm not kidding. This was the worst movie I have ever seen in my life. I can say that because I never actually watched Ishtar.
This movie must have cost a few thousand to make. Why anyone would begin to think this movie was the least bit enjoyable is beyond me.
Boring, boring, slow pace, little dialogue followed up by more boring, boring boring. I'd be ashamed to make a movie like this and have my name on it.
The one thing I truly hate is when someone watches a movie and decides to rate it and then they log onto this database and you see a bunch of bots have rated it a 10.
You can sit back in your chair, preferably a recliner in case you fall asleep, and watch this movie and wind up asking yourself "What were they thinking?" Who wrote this? There was very little dialogue in the entire movie. Very little. All I can say is that it must have been written and shot in one day. It was that bad.
This movie must have cost a few thousand to make. Why anyone would begin to think this movie was the least bit enjoyable is beyond me.
Boring, boring, slow pace, little dialogue followed up by more boring, boring boring. I'd be ashamed to make a movie like this and have my name on it.
The one thing I truly hate is when someone watches a movie and decides to rate it and then they log onto this database and you see a bunch of bots have rated it a 10.
You can sit back in your chair, preferably a recliner in case you fall asleep, and watch this movie and wind up asking yourself "What were they thinking?" Who wrote this? There was very little dialogue in the entire movie. Very little. All I can say is that it must have been written and shot in one day. It was that bad.
Poignant Story With A Neat Twist
BijeshNagesh14 December 2022
First Impressions:
As gothic ghost stories go, "The Eternal Daughter" was a sublime arthouse tale brought to life with subtlety and literary flair. What the movie lacked in speed it more than made up for with engaging performances and exceptional direction.
The Crew:
As both writer and director, Joanna Hogg did outstanding work.
Ed Rutherford's cinematography was captivating.
Grace Snell's costume design was great.
Set decoration and art direction were amazing.
Production design and special effects were remarkable.
Sound effects and editing were superb.
I'm not sure who scored the movie, but the music was notable and gave off yester-era vibes.
The Cast:
Tilda Swinton as both Julie Hart and Rosalind Hart was brilliant.
Carly-Sophia Davies as the hotel receptionist was great.
Joseph Mydell as an unnamed hotel staff member was quite good.
Plot Summary & Analysis:
Despite being a fan of Tilda Swinton for several years, I am still taken by surprise each time I see her in a new project. Every role she chooses comes wrapped in artistic fervor and delivered with classic thespian excellence.
In "The Eternal Daughter", Tilda took on the dual role of both mother and daughter. She didn't look all that different in either role and yet succeeded in convincing me that I was watching two actresses in separate roles instead of just the one acting as both.
Tilda played an artist returning to her ancestral home - now a hotel - where she and her mother gradually peeled back the layers of select secrets, not to mention a small world of memories.
Joanna Hogg's direction and screenplay cleverly balanced the plot and hid the brilliant final twist until the moment came.
There was no overt paranormal activity in this movie, but that didn't quite matter to me. Because the script was impressively poignant and simple enough to keep me hooked.
Final Notes:
This movie was worth watching simply for Swinton. Her performance was sublime and every scene in which she featured held my attention, and I'm not just saying that because I'm a fan.
That twist near the end was artfully executed. In addition to Tilda's double acting, it was worth sitting through this movie to catch that emotional reveal.
As gothic ghost stories go, "The Eternal Daughter" was a sublime arthouse tale brought to life with subtlety and literary flair. What the movie lacked in speed it more than made up for with engaging performances and exceptional direction.
The Crew:
As both writer and director, Joanna Hogg did outstanding work.
Ed Rutherford's cinematography was captivating.
Grace Snell's costume design was great.
Set decoration and art direction were amazing.
Production design and special effects were remarkable.
Sound effects and editing were superb.
I'm not sure who scored the movie, but the music was notable and gave off yester-era vibes.
The Cast:
Tilda Swinton as both Julie Hart and Rosalind Hart was brilliant.
Carly-Sophia Davies as the hotel receptionist was great.
Joseph Mydell as an unnamed hotel staff member was quite good.
Plot Summary & Analysis:
Despite being a fan of Tilda Swinton for several years, I am still taken by surprise each time I see her in a new project. Every role she chooses comes wrapped in artistic fervor and delivered with classic thespian excellence.
In "The Eternal Daughter", Tilda took on the dual role of both mother and daughter. She didn't look all that different in either role and yet succeeded in convincing me that I was watching two actresses in separate roles instead of just the one acting as both.
Tilda played an artist returning to her ancestral home - now a hotel - where she and her mother gradually peeled back the layers of select secrets, not to mention a small world of memories.
Joanna Hogg's direction and screenplay cleverly balanced the plot and hid the brilliant final twist until the moment came.
There was no overt paranormal activity in this movie, but that didn't quite matter to me. Because the script was impressively poignant and simple enough to keep me hooked.
Final Notes:
This movie was worth watching simply for Swinton. Her performance was sublime and every scene in which she featured held my attention, and I'm not just saying that because I'm a fan.
That twist near the end was artfully executed. In addition to Tilda's double acting, it was worth sitting through this movie to catch that emotional reveal.
eternal atmos
killercharm27 January 2023
All atmos and no fear. I love me some Tilda Swinton but this is not that time. True to the 3rd decade style this is a glacially slow "horror." I do believe it has one good scene and that is at the end. Which means two hours of waiting for something. As lovely as it is to look at and listen to Ms. Swinton and doubly so when she uses bad grammar, it's not enough. Especially when we are supposed to be surprised about, well, the thing that wasn't a surprise at all. The music gets to be tedious as well. I just didn't see anything as haunted. The daughter might be haunted about her treatment of her mother, but who isn't. We're all haunted by things we can't change.
Drab Bland Pretentious Nonsense
Nobody_Nothing_Nowhere11 December 2022
I feel like I must be living in some kind of alternate reality because it's got a 95% from critics and I thought it was awful. Boring. Not because it's slowburn, but because it never burns at all.
The premise here is that Tilda Swinton takes her elderly mother to a rural historic hotel in the countryside for her birthday, as it was a hotel she hadn't been to since she was a child and supposedly had happy memories off. The hook is that Tilda Swinton plays both characters. The movie has them go through the most impossibly drab daily motions of breakfast, dog walks and dinner all while having menial conversations about nothing, often with the daughter breaking down in tears anytime they have even the slightest brush with an argument. Throughout the film it constantly prods at you with bumps in the night, ghosts in the windows, but without it ever escalating. Tilda Swinton is more perturbed than disturbed by any of it. It never escalates or feels like it's going anywhere until it reveals the twist you saw coming about 5 minutes into the film and then the movie ends.
I feel obligated to note, I have no issue with twists being surface level as long as the writing and dialog are compelling. Thats where this movie really fails. I like Tilda Swinton. I watched this movie for Tilde Swinton. The dialog she is given never raises above ordering coffee at wafflehouse and the pointless attempts at tricking the viewer into thinking the twist was anything else than what it obviously was at the start of the film are beyond tiresome. I kept pondering why I'm watching this film, constantly waiting for an intriguing discussion or some fascinating character reveal. I was desperately bored despite literally coming for this. I did not cut out my day to see ghosts banging pots and pans or see Tilda Swinton turn into a monster. I came for a slowburn horror mystery. The only thing this film burned was my patience.
0/10 pretentious nonsense.
The premise here is that Tilda Swinton takes her elderly mother to a rural historic hotel in the countryside for her birthday, as it was a hotel she hadn't been to since she was a child and supposedly had happy memories off. The hook is that Tilda Swinton plays both characters. The movie has them go through the most impossibly drab daily motions of breakfast, dog walks and dinner all while having menial conversations about nothing, often with the daughter breaking down in tears anytime they have even the slightest brush with an argument. Throughout the film it constantly prods at you with bumps in the night, ghosts in the windows, but without it ever escalating. Tilda Swinton is more perturbed than disturbed by any of it. It never escalates or feels like it's going anywhere until it reveals the twist you saw coming about 5 minutes into the film and then the movie ends.
I feel obligated to note, I have no issue with twists being surface level as long as the writing and dialog are compelling. Thats where this movie really fails. I like Tilda Swinton. I watched this movie for Tilde Swinton. The dialog she is given never raises above ordering coffee at wafflehouse and the pointless attempts at tricking the viewer into thinking the twist was anything else than what it obviously was at the start of the film are beyond tiresome. I kept pondering why I'm watching this film, constantly waiting for an intriguing discussion or some fascinating character reveal. I was desperately bored despite literally coming for this. I did not cut out my day to see ghosts banging pots and pans or see Tilda Swinton turn into a monster. I came for a slowburn horror mystery. The only thing this film burned was my patience.
0/10 pretentious nonsense.
pay your grandma a visit. much more exciting!
simonmattera17 January 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Yeah its about grief and all. But honestly, this was painful and makes you think to use your time more wisely. Also the double role gives it right away that she checks in alone- no surprise or plotwist there. At least they could have made the dialogues more intriguing. Nope- u don't get much out of those either. The intentional faded colors, makes you wanna correct the contrast constantly, its so bleek the whole time. It's definitely the worst movie i have seen with swinton in it. Normally i consider her as a guarantee of good films cause she choses her roles wisely. Don't know what drove her to do this project???
Like a naff 80s screen play
uberdonkey69 December 2022
When I was a kid, and we would visit ny grandma, we'd sit and chat to her, but I was too young to have anything to say, and often there would be long quite pauses where you'd just here the ticking clock. The decor and furniture was well out of date. That bored dusty feeling is exactly what I got from this film.
Because of the quality of the filming (lighting very flat) and the dated decor of the old fashioned hotel rooms (which this film was entirely set in) as well as the way that it would show certain details in a slow and obvious manner, it felt like a really naff 1980's screen play you might see on a Sunday on one of those TVs with a huge back end to it. There was also some dated 'eerie' music whicj exacerbated that. The story was was too boring to fully notice that it was contrived.
I'm not sure what they were trying to achieve here. Maybe just trying to induce sleep. I'm not into action films, so it's not that there wasn't any action. It's just that the painfully slow pace and poor filming didn't make up for the weak script. My recommendation is to completely avoid.
Because of the quality of the filming (lighting very flat) and the dated decor of the old fashioned hotel rooms (which this film was entirely set in) as well as the way that it would show certain details in a slow and obvious manner, it felt like a really naff 1980's screen play you might see on a Sunday on one of those TVs with a huge back end to it. There was also some dated 'eerie' music whicj exacerbated that. The story was was too boring to fully notice that it was contrived.
I'm not sure what they were trying to achieve here. Maybe just trying to induce sleep. I'm not into action films, so it's not that there wasn't any action. It's just that the painfully slow pace and poor filming didn't make up for the weak script. My recommendation is to completely avoid.
"The Hollow Eternal Dragging"
utkarshraj-987201 February 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Imagine "The Sixth Sense" but Bruce Willis goes on to handshake and have 2-way conversations with real people. This is exactly the movie.
Also Nothing happens in it's entire runtime.
ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. How can a movie that has no story whatsoever go on to have 95% Rotten Tomatoes score is beyond my understanding. No wonder they are called "pretentious reviewers". It even ended on many year end lists.
And what a wastes potential man! They had a perfect gothic horror setting, a haunting background score and a brilliant actor like Tilda Swinton. But in the end they went for Shallow Nothingness.
Also Nothing happens in it's entire runtime.
ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. How can a movie that has no story whatsoever go on to have 95% Rotten Tomatoes score is beyond my understanding. No wonder they are called "pretentious reviewers". It even ended on many year end lists.
And what a wastes potential man! They had a perfect gothic horror setting, a haunting background score and a brilliant actor like Tilda Swinton. But in the end they went for Shallow Nothingness.
Haunting exploration of grief, loss, relationships.
Opinate27 December 2022
No, it's not a horror film and if it is billed as such horror fans will be severely disappointed when they spend time and money on this drama.
Eternal Daughter is a slow, moving, heart-felt exploration of mother-daughter relationships, shades of memory and the grief and despair of losing a loved one.
As such, it is a beautiful, moving film and I encourage anyone in the mood for a gothic, haunting, superbly acted and executed film to go see it!
Tilda Swinton is such a great actress and this role was made for her. The direction is perfect. The location moody and remote which adds a delicious layer of creepiness.
Eternal Daughter is a slow, moving, heart-felt exploration of mother-daughter relationships, shades of memory and the grief and despair of losing a loved one.
As such, it is a beautiful, moving film and I encourage anyone in the mood for a gothic, haunting, superbly acted and executed film to go see it!
Tilda Swinton is such a great actress and this role was made for her. The direction is perfect. The location moody and remote which adds a delicious layer of creepiness.
Interesting film, but with a slow pace...
mojag34 December 2022
Normally I like most of the movies Tilda Swinton starred in, not all, but most of them.
"The Eternal Daughter" could have been something more than what it is if perhaps more suspense had been added, maybe a few more characters. It could have been a great "Ghost Story", but probably the director did not want this from the film she created. The scenery and the entire "environment" from the hotel would have permitted that.
The film wants to emphasize the mother-daughter relationship and the mark that some people leave on our lives, even after they pass away.
However, I was disappointed by the somewhat slow pace in which the story was conceived.
"The Eternal Daughter" could have been something more than what it is if perhaps more suspense had been added, maybe a few more characters. It could have been a great "Ghost Story", but probably the director did not want this from the film she created. The scenery and the entire "environment" from the hotel would have permitted that.
The film wants to emphasize the mother-daughter relationship and the mark that some people leave on our lives, even after they pass away.
However, I was disappointed by the somewhat slow pace in which the story was conceived.
Huh?
dhuntlinux30 December 2022
1:32 I will never get back. That's what I'm grieving. Let's explore that. Kept waiting for something to happen, but it never did. Filmed like an old Vincent Price horror with absolutely no actual horror. I feel like there are more and more of these non-story movies being made and praised. I guess I'm just not cerebral enough to get it. We need to have a new rating system that alerts the viewer, you are about to go no where so sit back and wait to be wholey disappointed as you wait patiently for a plot to develop that never does until suddenly you're staring at two words and left questioning... THE END.
Great Sleeper or snoozer rather
dottydew31 January 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Knocked me right out cold. I liked the atmosphere but whoever created the synopsis did an injustice to this film. I went into it thinking I was settling into watching a good old fashioned ghost story. So excited when it started, had my snacks, tea, and was all cozy. Loved the spooky atmosphere and waited and watched ... Where's the ghost? Nodded off a few minutes, came to ... where's the ghost? Nodded off cold and came to at the end when the eternal daughter is celebrating her mother's birthday.
Oh, there it is. Well, titled. Well acted. Mundane dialog. Lot's of atmosphere and could have been a good movie, if I settled in to watch a drama of a woman going through memories and internal conflict she had with her dying mother. But, I was looking for a thriller, a mystery, a GHOST! BOO!
Oh, there it is. Well, titled. Well acted. Mundane dialog. Lot's of atmosphere and could have been a good movie, if I settled in to watch a drama of a woman going through memories and internal conflict she had with her dying mother. But, I was looking for a thriller, a mystery, a GHOST! BOO!
Headline: "The Eternal Daughter" - A Compelling and Eerie Exploration of Family Relationships and the Passage of Time
FilmFanatic20237 December 2022
I recently had the opportunity to watch "The Eternal Daughter" and was struck by the film's eerie atmosphere and strong performances from Tilda Swinton and Carly-Sophia Davies. The film follows Julie, a filmmaker, as she travels with her mother to a creepy country estate to research her latest project. The setting and mood of the film are deeply unsettling, and the way time is portrayed as porous adds to the overall sense of unease.
One of the standout aspects of "The Eternal Daughter" is its focus on the relationship between Julie and her mother. The two women are enmeshed in each other's lives, and the film explores the complex emotions that arise when Julie learns about her mother's past. The performances from Swinton and Davies are strong and convey the tension and discomfort in their interactions.
Overall, I found "The Eternal Daughter" to be a compelling and eerie exploration of family relationships and the passage of time. The film's moody atmosphere and strong performances make it worth watching.
One of the standout aspects of "The Eternal Daughter" is its focus on the relationship between Julie and her mother. The two women are enmeshed in each other's lives, and the film explores the complex emotions that arise when Julie learns about her mother's past. The performances from Swinton and Davies are strong and convey the tension and discomfort in their interactions.
Overall, I found "The Eternal Daughter" to be a compelling and eerie exploration of family relationships and the passage of time. The film's moody atmosphere and strong performances make it worth watching.
Seeing double
lizshotter7 December 2022
Warning: Spoilers
If you're expecting a horror or supernatural film keep looking, you won't find it here. This appears to be more of an exploration on the horror of grief, contencious patental relationships and impending old age than anything else. It's likely you will guess any kind of twist but it's safe to say it's somewhat obvious. There are some weird continuity issues and holes in the story, such as if the mother isn't there how is she having conversations with staff, walking their dog etc which meant a lot of the time i felt confused. I wonder if this was Tindas way of exploring grief with her deceased parent as this seems to be personal exploration. Sometimes I felt as if I was invading by watching this and maybe that's the whole purpose as the sense of isolation and sadness was accurately portrayed.
Gothic language games
bertrandma5 December 2022
As any of the reviews on here make clear, if you are looking for a standard supernatural or slasher fare, keep looking: this is a psychological thriller quite far out on the psychological end of the spectrum, or to be entirely fair, it is not much of a thriller at all. What it does, and does well enough, is memorialize an upper-class English femininity that has largely vanished--genteel, affectionately distant, articulately banal, and decked in Liberty prints.
The whole production is highly minimalistic and grainy (shot analogue perhaps?). It is scored and paced like an ancient artifact, with the entirety of its (modest) 'thrills' provided by creaking floor boards, banging shutters and howling Welsh winds.
The movie's main achievement is doubtlessly its dialogues, which are tryingly realistic: ever-courteous but echoingly empty, interminably circuiting around one or two unspoken questions that are never truly answered (or formulated). Details suggest, the script was perhaps built on recordings of actual English small-talk 'in the wild'.
Swinton masterfully upholds both sides of the bargain, but is that enough to make the experience worth your time? Perhaps for a small minority: those have seen enough of this peculiar cast of mind to recognize it as a dying breed, and seen little enough to still find it interesting. I count myself among the elects, but even then this was a long, *slow* and sometimes frustrating experience, which mostly managed to make feel guilty about not feeling guilty about not seeing much of my (living) mother.
The whole production is highly minimalistic and grainy (shot analogue perhaps?). It is scored and paced like an ancient artifact, with the entirety of its (modest) 'thrills' provided by creaking floor boards, banging shutters and howling Welsh winds.
The movie's main achievement is doubtlessly its dialogues, which are tryingly realistic: ever-courteous but echoingly empty, interminably circuiting around one or two unspoken questions that are never truly answered (or formulated). Details suggest, the script was perhaps built on recordings of actual English small-talk 'in the wild'.
Swinton masterfully upholds both sides of the bargain, but is that enough to make the experience worth your time? Perhaps for a small minority: those have seen enough of this peculiar cast of mind to recognize it as a dying breed, and seen little enough to still find it interesting. I count myself among the elects, but even then this was a long, *slow* and sometimes frustrating experience, which mostly managed to make feel guilty about not feeling guilty about not seeing much of my (living) mother.
Morosely slow, dull, confusing & ultimately pointless Brit drama
danieljfarthing20 February 2023
In writer / director Joanna Hogg's morosely slow, dull & confusing Brit drama "The Eternal Daughter" Tilda Swinton (as 'quirky' as ever) plays a middle-aged film-maker (with writer's block) AND her own aging mother, staying (as the only apparent guests) at a crusty old English manor house staffed by obnoxious young Carly-Sophia Davies (terrifically odious - the best aspect of the film) & older night porter Joseph Mydell. As the 'tale' (so called) drags on, so vague supernatural clues drop, increasingly opaquely... and then it's done (tho its 1hr 36mins seems a lifetime). What was it about (dementia?) and why... THAT's the real mystery here. It's a turd. Flush.
A Slowburn That Never Catches Fire
brentsbulletinboard19 January 2023
One effective way to tell a tale of suspense is to employ the atmospheric slowburn approach, one that quietly but chillingly sizzles as it leads up to what is eventually (and supposedly) a startling revelation. However, writer-director Joanna Hogg's attempt at pulling this off in her latest offering falls short, protractedly smoldering but never really catching fire. When a middle-aged English filmmaker and her aging mother (dual roles played by Tilda Swinton) pay a hoped-for nostalgic visit to a vintage country hotel that was once their extended family's manor house, they set their sights on their stay giving them a chance to relive fond memories and to resolve certain aspects of their complex, sometimes-distant relationship (an irony given the devoted daughter's earnest attempt at being a loving, dutiful caretaker). But, almost from the moment they arrive, things don't play out as anticipated; events unfold with a surreal, unfathomable awkwardness in a setting befitting a gothic ghost story. So what's going on here? That's what the film seeks to explain. Unfortunately, there's not a whole lot to tell here, the story ultimately being more tedious than suspenseful, frequently relying on astonished reaction shots to things that mysteriously go bump in the night to carry the story forward. And, when "the big reveal" finally comes, it emerges more with a whimper than a bang (especially since it's not particularly difficult to figure out what's coming anyway). While the film is stylistic to a fault in terms of skillfully creating a suitable ambiance, the accompanying narrative is rather anemic by comparison. It's almost as if the storyteller is spinning a vague yarn, one told with kid gloves, a nagging frustration for those expecting something with more of a bite to it. While there's a definite purpose behind this, given the picture's attempt at exploring elements of the mother-daughter relationship typically not addressed in films like this, this set of restrained attributes nevertheless inhibits this offering from ever developing much of an edge to it (yawn). To the film's credit, it features yet another fine performance by Swinton, but it's regrettable that she's not given much to work with. And, even with its comparatively short 1:36:00 runtime, the picture somehow manages to seem like it's far longer. Indeed, in this case, "eternal" is something applicable to more than just the wording of its title.
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