Title: His Three Daughters
MPA Rating: R
Director: Azazel Jacobs
Starring: Carrie Coon, Natasha Lyonne, Elizabeth Olsen
Runtime: 1 hr 41 mins
What It Is: Katie (Coon), Rachel (Lyonne), and Christina (Olsen) are three estranged sisters who converge at their father’s New York apartment after an illness leaves him bedridden. Rachel, who now lives in the apartment, must navigate the tension of sharing her space with her sisters.
Unspoken grievances, as they often do in stressful situations, begin to surface. As the sisters confront their father’s declining health, they are also forced to face the toxicity that has poisoned their relationship over the years. Can they mend what’s been broken, or will rising tensions lead them to an irreparable ending?
What We Think: Azazel Jacobs continues to impress. His writing and direction often feel deeply personal and undeniably beautiful. He uses the camera to breathe life into his stories, placing the characters like delicate dolls in a diorama—fragile and on the brink of completely breaking.
Take his previous work as a director, The Lovers. Much like that film, this is an invitation into a life already in motion, one we’re struggling to catch up to. As secrets and problems slowly unravel, we’re left to quietly observe it all unfold.
When you cast three actresses as unbelievably talented as those featured here, strong performances are a given. Thankfully, they rise to meet—and exceed—the high expectations of their abilities. As they navigate Jacobs’ masterful dialogue, we’re struck by how fractured these relationships truly are. It wasn’t a single catastrophic event that created the rift but rather a death by a thousand cuts.
Our Grade: A-, A film like this serves as an exploration of the human condition. There’s a particular monologue at the film’s end that, once it concludes, leaves you fully grasping its weight—the reality of it.
We need more cinema like this: simple storytelling that takes us on a genuine journey. Not just something to watch, but something to feel. And trust me, I felt every moment of it.
This is one of those films that might fly under the radar, but it’s worth your time. Click the Netflix link below and give it a watch.
