For Austin film critics, a press screening in a theater for a Netflix release means it is awards season. For most of the year, if an Austin critic is assigned a Netflix movie or chooses to review it, the streaming service provides a digital screener. However, when Netflix wants us to consider a feature for awards voting, then that’s when the screening invites go out. Considering it is only September, His Three Daughters is the first official FYC screening I attended this year.
Written and directed by Azazel Jacobs, His Three Daughters stars Carrie Coon, Natasha Lyonne, and Elizabeth Olsen as the titular siblings who must cope with the last days of their father’s life as he dies from a terminal illness. Coon portrays Katie, a seemingly always irritated and frustrated married mother and the oldest of the sisters. Lyonne plays Rachel, the single, cannabis-loving middle child who has chosen to live with and take care of their father during the worst of his illness. Olsen stars as Christina, a married mother whose new age practices, her consistently effervescent attitude, along with her undying love for The Grateful Dead, often leave her other sisters exasperated.
Though each of the sisters has their problems with one another, they are forced to cope with their differences in the hopes of uniting during what will be one of the most difficult moments of their lives. Resentment, bickering, and differing opinions abound, but their best and safest bet is to remember their deep love for the man who raised them and loved them dearly.
I was genuinely surprised to learn that His Three Daughters has never been developed into a stage play because the limited settings and extensive dialogue would lend the story so well for the theater. That said, this movie works just as well. The passionate and emotional performances and the characters’ beautifully written dialogue and development make His Three Daughters a riveting and powerful film. Anyone who has lost a parent or currently has a parent coping with end-of-life issues will relate to the material.
The issues these three remarkable siblings face with each other are so universal that anyone with very different siblings will absolutely connect with them. The actors, Carrie Coon, Natasha Lyonne, and Elizabeth Olsen, bring something exceptional, beautiful, annoying, and funny to each character. Their chemistry, whether passive-aggressive, dismissive, heatedly arguing, or bonding over memories, is so authentic that it makes the characters feel like people we know in our own lives.
The direction, writing, and acting in His Three Daughters all come together in a beautiful symphony. The film is not just captivating and compelling, but also one of the most intriguing movies I have seen this year. It’s no surprise that Netflix chose to kick off their FYC screenings with this movie, as they knew they had something truly special on their hands. His Three Daughters is currently playing in select theaters and will be available for streaming via Netflix on September 20. It’s a wonderful film that I highly recommend to all of my adult readers.