The Lost Daughter

R

Released Dec 31, 2021

2 hr. 2 min.

Drama

TRAILER

for The Lost Daughter: Trailer 1

List

94%

237 Reviews

Tomatometer

56%

1,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

Alone on a seaside vacation, Leda becomes consumed with a young mother and daughter as she watches them on the beach. Unnerved by their compelling relationship, (and their raucous and menacing extended family), Leda is overwhelmed by her own memories of the terror, confusion and intensity of early motherhood. An impulsive act shocks Leda into the strange and ominous world of her own mind, where she is forced to face the unconventional choices she made as a young mother and their consequences.

Read More

Read Less

Netflix

Watch The Lost Daughter with a subscription on Netflix.

Critics Consensus

A strikingly assured debut for writer-director Maggie Gyllenhaal, The Lost Daughter unites a brilliant cast in service of a daringly ambitious story.

Read Critics Reviews

Audience Consensus

It includes great acting and some really intense moments, but overall, The Lost Daughter is dull and difficult to follow.

Read Audience Reviews

Babu Y

One of the worst written films I have ever seen, the story was pointless, the camera shots were amateur, the plot slow and quite frankly non existent, whatever the directors direction was it seemed to be the equivalent to walking circles in a desert. It dresses itself up as a cutting edge film from Oscar nominees and veteran actors only to crash land into a crumpled mess

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

03/24/24

Full Review

Darcy D

This movie is garbage. The whole movie builds up suspense to a conflict that never happens. Better than any sleeping pill though! Snooze fest for sure

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

03/16/24

Full Review

Jr B

I would rate this movie a 6.3!!

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/19/24

Full Review

Michael C

I kept thinking something was going to happen but it never does.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

02/14/24

Full Review

Alec B

Its often a bit too impenetrable, almost as if no one involved really wanted to go down the dark pathways the screenplay often implies but then again so much of this is about Colman and her fantastically expressive face. A powerhouse performance that uses her considerable talents quite well.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/09/24

Full Review

Jeff M

Oscar-nominated actress Maggie Gyllenhaal makes a very impressive, highly self-assured debut behind the camera with this riveting adaptation of Elena Ferrante's novel that confronts the difficulties of being a parent with almost painful precision. This is coming from someone who is not a parent, but I can't ever remember seeing subject matter like this dealt with in such an honest approach. The filmmaking is of such a high caliber that the movie almost feels like some kind of suspense thriller in a way - it got to me in a way few films have this year. Over the last decade or so, Colman has proven herself to be one of the finest actors on the planet, and this could be her finest hour. She is riveting and unforgettable. Buckley, who appears in flashbacks as Colman's younger self, matches her step for step. And Johnson, an actress I haven't seen in that much, is rather hypnotic. This is an unusual, very deep motion picture that has the confidence to takes its time, introducing us to a myriad of characters we don't learn that much about but with whom we become compelled and fascinated. I'm so impressed with Gyllenhaal's work here as director and screenwriter, and I hope she is recognized at awards time. It's my favorite kind of movie - one in which you don't realize the full power of what's going on until after it's over and you have a chance to live with it for a while. This will be on my best of the year list, and I could see this possibly moving up to a 5-star movie after revisiting.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/08/24

Full Review

Read all reviews

Post a rating

Maggie Gyllenhaal

Director

Olivia Colman

Leda

Dakota Johnson

Nina

Peter Sarsgaard

Profesor Hardy

Jessie Buckley

Young Leda

Paul Mescal

Will

Show Less Cast & Crew

Show More Cast & Crew

73%

75%

All My Puny Sorrows

40%

69%

Rare Objects

TRAILER

for Rare Objects

94%

78%

C'mon C'mon

TRAILER

for C'mon C'mon

53%

69%

Don't Make Me Go

TRAILER

for Don't Make Me Go

60%

73%

The Artist's Wife

TRAILER

for The Artist's Wife

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

Where to Watch the 2022 Oscar Nominees

Oscar Nominations 2022: Full List of Nominated Films, Actors, Directors, and Filmmakers

2022 Film Independent Spirit Awards Nominations

The Lost Daughter: Trailer 1

2:39

View more videos

View more photos

Caryn James

BBC.com

Colman can make Leda simply driving a car seem dramatic, as the expression on her face quietly captures the emotional turmoil she tries so hard to contain. And Gyllenhaal can turn an image of rotting fruit into a jump-scare.

Rated: 5/5

Jan 25, 2022

Full Review

Stephen Romei

The Australian

This is a fine, unsettling film about the cost of the choices we make.

Rated: 3.5/5

Jan 8, 2022

Full Review

Jo Livingstone

The New Republic

It addresses the impossible, ordinary, maddening task of keeping both yourself and a child alive.

Jan 8, 2022

Full Review

Nadine Whitney

Mr. Movie's Film Blog

If one is willing to make the effort to embrace the fractured nature of the protagonist, The Lost Daughter is a puzzle that, although not entirely solvable, is rich in its complexities.

Rated: A

Sep 17, 2023

Full Review

Matthew Creith

Matinee With Matt

A triumphant directorial debut by Maggie Gyllenhaal, The Lost Daughter shouts volumes of emotions while crisscrossing between the choices Leda made in her past and similar situations on her vacation in the present.

Jul 25, 2023

Full Review

Tina Kakadelis

Beyond the Cinerama Dome

The Lost Daughter isn’t necessarily a celebration of a complicated woman, but it is a searingly honest portrayal. This look at motherhood isn’t intended to be perfect. It’s much more interested in all of the ugliness that’s involved.

Jul 25, 2023

Full Review

Read all reviews

Synopsis

Alone on a seaside vacation, Leda becomes consumed with a young mother and daughter as she watches them on the beach. Unnerved by their compelling relationship, (and their raucous and menacing extended family), Leda is overwhelmed by her own memories of the terror, confusion and intensity of early motherhood. An impulsive act shocks Leda into the strange and ominous world of her own mind, where she is forced to face the unconventional choices she made as a young mother and their consequences.

Director: Maggie Gyllenhaal
Executive Producer: David Gilbery, Marlon Vogelgesang, Courtney Kivowitz, Christos V. Konstantakopoulos, Olivia Colman
Screenwriter: Maggie Gyllenhaal
Distributor: Netflix
Production Co: Samuel Marshall Productions, Endeavor Content, Pie Films, Faliro House Productions
Rating: R (Sexual Content/Nudity|Language)
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 31, 2021, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 31, 2021
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital

Most Popular at Home Now