User reviews

The characters in this film extremely well portrayed by Mendelsohn and Daisy Ridley. Helena (played by Daisy) young girl brought up in the marshes and taught to survive in nature. I loved this a real bond between father and daughter in the wilderness later in the film you can see how torn Helena is between the modern world and the natural world, not quite knowing where she fits, the film lays out the extreme Bond and love between a mother and a daughter and the idolisation of a father. This one is definitely worth a watch story runs at a good pace it delivered well. Most mothers would die for their children you will have to watch the film to see if this is necessary.

A very enjoyable thriller which starts stronger than it finishes, The Marsh King's Daughter is about a young woman stalked by her criminal father after she starts a new life away from him after he abducted her mother many years previously. Can she sever the still-lingring attachment she feels towards him forever?

I must say, I was surprised to discover the low rating for the movie on here. As far as I'm concerned, it gripped me it's mixture of our titular protagonist adapting to city life with her new family after spending so long in the wilderness, and the tension-packed present when she discovers her supposely dead convicted papa might not be so deceased after all.

So after both the drama and suspence are both top notch, the fact the film ends with one of those oh-so-predictable violent struggles struggles out of the Hollywood playbook was a tad dispiriting, not not enough to stop me from giving it any less than 7/10.

I was really looking forward to this, purely based off on vibes. I didn't have any prior knowledge about it. The lighting's off; it looked like there was a filter on the entire time. Personally, I would have preferred it to have a more natural look because the filter didn't really enhance anything. I just started watching 'Siren' and Gil Birmingham plays a cop there too, which was a very similar role, identical really.

The story here is pretty intriguing, though it has no mystery element making it feel predictable. From the title alone, I thought it'd be similar to 'Where the Crawdads Sing,' but the similarity only lies in the setting. It reminds me somewhat of 'Stockholm, Pennsylvania' (2015) with Saoirse Ronan, although I find the story better here, but not the movie itself. It begins similarly, with a girl who was kidnapped, but her father never hurt or abused her, so she's distraught when he's portrayed as a monster. Difference is here we time jump decades later, Her past still affects her as she now has her own family and life and stuff.

The movie, in my opinion, is average; nothing exceptional, making it quite forgettable. I wasn't too invested in the characters. It's a slow-paced psychological thriller, not too emotionally intense, and the high points didn't quite hit their mark. The third act was probably always going to be challenging to execute. I couldn't think of a more natural ending for the story so it didn't bother me too much. I think it was intentionally kept simple and straightforward, because it had the potential to be much darker and more intricate.

The movie will be well enjoyed by those who have not read the book by the same name as the story and characters remainn a mystery for them and thus one can keep up with the pace no matter how slow or fast the story goes. The people who have read the book on the other hand may find it off or slow to the pace they remember reading it.

With regards to the story and acting, the actors have well adapted to the script and do justice to the script that has been given to them.

The script itself has been well adapted to the current time and is adapted to suite the timeline. The only issue one faces is that the story itself needs adapting to suite to movie watcher's taste and while it does justice to the book and it's story, it doesn't add anything new of its own which might have become it's X factor. Thus, overall, it's a watchable movie, but not something you will remember for long or will go back to watch again.

I was quite lucky I didn't read the IMDb synopsis for 'The Marsh King's Daughter' before seeing it, because it would've completely ruined the film's opening - and the opening is the strongest thing this film has going for it.

From there the film falls into "perfectly fine" land. Everything is passable and it's a mildly entertaining way to pass 110 minutes. But there's nothing daring or original or memorable here sadly.

The film also relies heavily on characters making nonsensical decisions that only make sense as a method to drive the plot forward. You either get used to that in this film or you're unlikely to have a good time.

As I mentioned, if you go in with a positive attitude and you're not looking for perfection you might just have a reasonably good time with this film. Even if you do however, I doubt you'll think about it again a week after seeing it. 6/10.

In mild thriller "The Marsh King's Daughter" Ben Mendelsohn's arrested after holding Caren Pistorius captive in the US wilds, where she had Brooklyn Prince who she & Mendelsohn raised for 12 yrs. Years later Prince (now Daisy Ridley) has a child of her own (via hubbie Garrett Hedlund) who Mendelsohn comes for (or does he?) on escaping prison. Director Neil Burger styles it like "Where The Crawdads Sing" / "Lou" but it's lower quality, thanks mainly to the co-writing duo of debutant Elle Smith & "The Covenant" co-writer Mark L Smith whose script is implausible, hole-filled & short-cutting. Gil Birmingham lends decent support, but this one is only just passable.

Daisy Ridley and Ben Mendelsohn embody the ultimate dysfunctional father daughter dynamic in Neil Burger's The Marsh King's Daughter, a handsome, well acted, atmospheric thriller that frustratingly avoids much of the psychological depth, complexity or emotional honesty one would hope to find in a story with this much potential. Young Helena (Brooklyn Prince) lives with her enigmatic father (Mandelsohn) and troubled mother (Caren Pistorius) in the heart of Michigan's wild upper peninsula, in a nature based existence far away from society, seemingly idyllic. Soon her world is shattered when her mother grabs her and makes a breathless escape to civilization and she realizes her father whom she loves, trusts and idolizes is in fact a disturbed abductor who has been keeping her mother out there all these years. She grows up into haunted Daisy Ridley who harbours this difficult secret for years, has a daughter of her own and tries to move on... until dad escapes from prison and comes looking for her. This film profoundly frustrated me because Daisy and Ben are such capable, terrific actors and getting them for a script like this is so exciting but the narrative here devolves into such a predictable, cheap thriller in the third act it almost made me mad. It's disheartening because there are scenes of such power and potency early in, like the visually invigorating prologue with her as a kid full of daring drone camera choices and lush, gorgeous wilderness cinematography. Later on we observe Ridley in a stunning moment of vulnerability as she finally tells her husband (Garrett Hedlund) about her shrouded past. This could have been such a dense, thought provoking piece of work but the minute Dad shows up back into the picture the writing just flattens right out into this superficial, rushed, surface level resolution and it's a goddamn shame. This is based on a book by somebody called Karen Dionne and I'm not sure if her version of the story took a little more tact and introspection with these characters but if so, she's probably out there fuming at how careless an adaptation this is. You're better off watching the first half, which is admittedly excellent on almost every level, then imagining up your own ending.

3 out of 5 stars.

The Marsh Kings Daughter is a fair psychological thriller film that has a good story. The script and direction is dull with a plain direction and flat characters.

The acting was okay with its cast ensemble. Daisy Ridley did her best with what was given. The characters were thinly written. It does have some thrills with Daisy trying to protect her family. And searching for her father which leads to a thrilling climax in the forest. The film lacks itself from being memorable or any different. It could have been better with a stronger script and sharp direction. Overall it was an okay film.

The Marsh King's Daughter is based on the novel of the same name by Karen Dionne. It tells the story of Helena Pelletier(Daisy Ridley). Helena goes after the man who kidnapped her mother, to safeguard her family's future.

The Marsh King's Daughter is a pretty good film. However, it would have been fantastic if it had just been fast-paced, like how a thriller should be. Usually, slow-burn movies build up to an electrifying climax. However, that's not the case with this film. Even during its final act, it still doesn't pick up the pace. The cinematography by Alwin H. Kukler is gorgeous. The performances are the movie's strongpoint. Daisy Ridley is spectacular as Helena Pelletier. Ben Mendelsohn is outstanding as Jacob Holbrook. Brooklynn Prince is fantastic as Young Helena. Gil Birmingham is great as Clark. Caren Pistorius is brilliant as Helena's mother. Garrett Hedlund is excellent as Stephen Pelletier. Joey Carson is adorable as Marigold Pelletier. The Marsh King's Daughter is not a must watch in theatres. However, watch it on streaming if you have time to kill.

I don't like to be that person who says the book was better, but in this case I couldn't enjoy the film because I had read the book. The film felt rushed and it lacked deepness: the story, the characters and the relations between them lacked deepness. Everything happened really fast and what we got to see from the main character's childhood wasn't enough. Since it lacked deepness, some moments seemed like they made no sense.

My boyfriend hadn't read the book, but he went to see the film with me and he also felt like it was rushed and that they just tried to summarize a complex story with complex characters.

It's a very good story though and it will keep you entertained, specially if you know nothing about it. Also the acting isn't bad at all. I give it a 6 based on the film itself, ignoring the existence of the book.

Anyway, I hope you get to enjoy it.

I really regret watching it I do not know what the artistic value is in this film. It is a usual story and there is no real revenge except for the last 5 minutes of conflict. The rest of the film is routine events. She goes with her daughter to school. She kisses her husband before leaving. She goes to work and enters accounts or something like that.., even her mother's order is missing, and the way her father escapes. It is trite, the important events of the film are fast, and the useless events are slow and boring, a film that is just regret and a waste of time. There is not an ounce of excitement or fun.

Helena has grown up in isolated marshland in awe of her father who teaches her advanced survival skills and disdain for her mother. When it becomes clear that her father is in fact a nut and ends up in prison, Helena grows up with a normal job and a husband and young daughter. Then her obsessive father escapes from prison.

This all starts interestingly enough with bad dad Ben Mendelsohn showing the excellent Brooklynn Prince the way around the woods. What follows is then grown up Daisy Ridley - perfectly good performance - realising that to save her own daughter she must seek out and sort daddy out. Thereafter, whilst in no way bad, it turns into a rather predictable little league Deliverance leading to an enjoyable but not very surprising conclusion. Watchable.

The Marsh King's Daughter deserves a higher rating on here. In the mystery/thriller genre it's a well made movie. There is a nice flow to the story, not very fast paced but there is a constant mystery vibe that keeps you interested in the story. You know something is about to happen, it's just a matter of time before hell breaks loose. Sometimes a slow pace makes a movie boring but that wasn't the case with this one. Daisy Ridley and Ben Mendelsohn did a good job playing daughter and father. Brooklynn Prince plays the daughter at a young age and she did really well as well. So yes I'm a bit surprised by the rather low ratings. I'm sure it will please people that like this genre of movies.

If you are ok with a thriller with unique pacing you might enjoy this one. By unique pacing I mean that the director have you thinking one thing, mellow even relaxing you for a few minutes, and then BANG something totally strange happens. Then when you are getting used to the new situation, you are relaxed again, but then BAM, some new info that throws a totally different twist to the situation and that goes on almost in the entirety of the movie. I really liked that but I can see how people that might expect a formulaic Hollywood flick might find it odd.

My only criticism is that the ending is very predictable and there is no big thing to remember this ending by, I was also missing a good ending scene or maybe an epilogue. This is a non-spoil review so I can't reveal much more, watch and decide for yourself.

Nevertheless, The Marsh Kind's Daughter is an enjoyable watch, it is violent at times, but much less than the R rating might suggest, I would let a mature teenager watch it, but as a parent, make your own decision. The acting, which does not include any 'A-list' actors, is still solid, and the lead actor (Daisy Ridley) and some other familiar faces like Gil Birmingham (NCIS) are doing a great job in making the script believable.

Overall recommended for an evening watch. Exact score: 72 / 100.

Oh boy, "The Marsh King's Daughter" managed to transform an intriguing novel into a cinematic slog that's about as thrilling as watching a puddle evaporate. Daisy Ridley does what she can, bless her, weaving through the swampy mess of a plot with the determination of someone who's been promised a better script on the other side. Unfortunately, even her spirited performance can't stop this film from feeling like a two-hour-long game of 'spot the plot point'.

The dialogue in this movie swings between painfully mundane and unintentionally hilarious, which, honestly, might have been the only thing keeping me awake. Characters deliver lines with all the nuance of GPS instructions, making every conversation feel like a missed connection. And the supposed twists? More predictable than a dad joke at a family BBQ, and about as exciting.

As for the setting, it's clear the film aimed for 'ominously atmospheric' but landed on 'generic outdoor sadness.' The marshlands, which should be teeming with eerie potential, are about as spooky as a backyard garden. Ultimately, "The Marsh King's Daughter" is a bog-standard thriller that promises a wild ride but leaves you stuck in the mud. Two stars for the effort, because someone has to acknowledge the hard work of trudging through that script.

IN A NUTSHELL: A woman seeks revenge against the man who kidnapped her mother.

This movie is directed by Neil Burger and written by Elle Smith, Mark L. Smith, and Karen Dionne based on the book by Karen Dionne.

THINGS I LIKED: It's great to see Daisy Ridley outside of a Star Wars movie. She's got the acting chops and fierce physicality for this kind of movie, so I hope to see her in more films soon.

I didn't even recognize Ben Mendelsohn with all of that facial hair! He's consistently fantastic in everything he does. He and Daisy Ridley both starred in Star Wars movies. They're the reason why you would want to watch this film.

We get to learn some tips about surviving in the wilderness and hunting animals.

Beautiful cinematography.

I've never read the book the movie is based on, so I can't tell you how they compare, but I've heard that the movie is better if you haven't read the book and don't know the mystery in the story.

The color palette looks filtered, which was a wise choice to visually illustrate how past memories don't always embrace reality.

THINGS I DIDN'T LIKE: Like the lake in the wilderness, the movie is very slow-moving. The pace and tone change dramatically from Act 1 to Act 3. Some scenes could have definitely been cut to tighten up the telling. The wilderness story feels like a different movie from the home invasion one.

The ending is a bit clunky which left me with feelings of uncertainty about the entire movie's experience and what it was really trying to say.

TIPS FOR PARENTS: Kids will be bored. So will some adults.

Bloody violence with a gun and other weapons on animals and humans We see a woman in her underwear.

Two of the characters have a lot of tattoos. We watch a man poke a needle in a girl's arm to give her a tattoo.

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Lets dive into my opinion and review about this movie head or feet first either way. First off I like Daisy Ridley quite a bit so that was one reason to see this movie. Second reason is this was a random pick and going off information/ reviews here on IMDB.

I generally liked this movie. I believe a pace of a movie is super important. I thought the pacing or flow was solid for most of the movie. Few moments seemed a tad slow and some tweaks of missing things shown rather then implied could have made this skyrocket in popularity in reviews at least in my thoughts. Though had good build up, climax , plot and like many others have said the scenery was enjoyable for my eyeballs. The trees, moss, water , nature and animals amazing sights. Aside from two main characters , the others play a very minor role that could have been focused on a little more.

Daisy Ridley did a great job as her character. The emotions and depth were great. The interactions with other characters i liked alot. Daisy kept me compelled to story. Mendelsohn as well was compelling both of them worked well together in conflict and battle.

In conclusion here I found this thriller relatively decent. Great two actors and interesting story. Minus the few issues i mentioned im going to give movie a positive seven.