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Social media tends to offer an image of the Perfect Mother. Moms are supposed to embrace every moment—planning clever craft projects, preparing healthy lunches and whimsical snacks, and sharing pictures of perfect children in the cutest outfits. But with The Lost Daughter, first-time director Maggie Gyllenhaal explores a darker, less Facebook-friendly side of motherhood.
The Lost Daughter travels to a Greek island paradise with Leda (Olivia Colman), a 40-something professor who’s rented an apartment for a solo summer holiday at the beach. She’s enjoying her peace and quiet until a rowdy family shows up and seems to take over the beach. Though she refuses to give in to their demands, she feels troubled by their presence. During her daily trips to the beach, though, she becomes fascinated by young mom Nina (Dakota Johnson), who brings back memories of her own struggles as a young mother.
Nina represents a darker side of motherhood than we’re used to seeing. While her husband leaves on business, popping in when he has the time, she struggles to care for her spirited little girl—a child who shouts for attention when her mom just wants to enjoy the sun, who has to be under close watch at all times. Nina may seem selfish or negligent when she wanders off into the water by herself—or when she gets frustrated by her daughter’s screaming. And she (and, in her flashbacks to her own struggles with motherhood, Leda) may not always handle situations in the best ways. But motherhood is not always fun and laughter and Instagram pictures—and no mom can be expected to be “on” all the time.
The Lost Daughter strays from the perfect, polished image of motherhood—and that often makes it feel incredibly uncomfortable. While Olivia Colman gives a strong performance as Leda (as does Jessie Buckley as younger Leda), she’s still not a warm, likable character. Her actions are sometimes difficult to understand and even harder to justify. But it’s an honest story—the story of mothers who struggle, who make bad choices, who are sometimes fed up. Admittedly, this slow-burning film doesn’t always make its point clear—and there are aspects of the drama and suspense that seem to go nowhere. But its portrayal of some of the challenges of motherhood makes it memorable.
The Lost Daughter isn’t an easy film to watch. It’s slow and meandering, and the characters aren’t especially likable. If you’re looking for a breezy film about a trip to the beach, this isn’t it. But it’s well acted and sincerely told.
The Lost Daughter opens in limited release on December 17, 2021 before coming to Netflix on December 31.
Listen to the review on Reel Discovery:
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