Daughter

This starts with Father (Casper Van Dien) brutally killing a young woman while he berates a young man. They are all dressed in the same drab clothing. Next, he unhoods another woman and tells her that she is now to be his Daughter. She has a new Mother and a new Brother. Father seems mostly concerned with the boy while she is the latest of many Daughters.

This is a low budget indie. It is bare-bones production. This starts like a 70's exploitation. It may work better with Daughter's capture instead of the murder. In that way, they could hold off the reveal for a little while. Once the premise is revealed, the pace slows right down. The movie struggles to get a head of steam.

The movie presents a perplexing journey filled with narrative gaps and illogical choices. The film stumbles through a maze of plot holes, leaving viewers scratching their heads at the bewildering behaviors of characters. Unfortunately, the antagonist's motives are shrouded in mystery, with no clear explanation for his puzzling actions. The perplexity deepens as the audience grapples with questions like why he kidnaps people to form his 'family' and the murky origins of his so-called son.

The storyline suffers from a lack of coherent reasoning, rendering the antagonist's actions nonsensical and perplexing. As the movie unfolds, you're left grappling with a sense of aimlessness, struggling to find any purpose behind the illogical steps characters take. The result is a cinematic experience that lacks the crucial foundation of a comprehensible narrative.

Even the behavior of the daughter, presumably a central character, adds to the confusion. Her seemingly irrational choices in dire situations defy common sense, contributing to the overall sense of frustration. Instead of prioritizing her own safety, her efforts to 'save' her brainwashed brother come across as bizarre and frustratingly illogical.

"Daughter" is further hampered by a sluggish pace that fails to engage the audience effectively. The lack of clear reasoning behind characters' actions makes it difficult to invest emotionally in their journeys. As a result, what could have been a compelling narrative is reduced to a convoluted and bewildering mess.

While the film showcases solid acting performances and interesting concepts, it ultimately fails to deliver enough information for the audience to truly grasp what is happening. The storyline introduces numerous intriguing elements, but they remain largely unexplored, leaving viewers confused and without any real context to piece together the narrative. Rather than providing clarity or deeper insight into the film's themes and plot, it raises a series of questions that are never addressed. This lack of explanation leaves you feeling unsatisfied, as though the movie is incomplete.

Despite its potential, the film concludes abruptly, offering no resolution or explanation to the myriad of issues it presents. The audience is left with the frustrating sense that they have invested their time into a story that leads nowhere. It feels as though crucial pieces of the puzzle are missing, making it difficult to engage with or appreciate the film's intended message. Ultimately, while the performances and initial setup may captivate, the lack of closure and coherent storytelling make this a disappointing viewing experience, leaving you feeling that it was, overall, a waste of time.

It's a decent film which provides enough tension to keep you interested. Personally, I would have preferred more depth and back story. I don't normally say this, but the film could have benefited from being an extra 20-30 minutes longer.

There are whispers of interesting sub-plots which don't ever get off the ground. This film in part, has a bit of an identity crisis as it doesn't know whether it is a thriller, drama or even an art house film at times. It results in a memorable yet underwhelming film.

I still enjoyed watching this film but am ultimately left disappointed with the wasted potential this great story could have been.