The Lost Daughter (2021)

O'Sullivan praises the adaptation as a powerful achievement that elevates its source material. She especially singles out Olivia Colman's darkly comic, award-worthy performance.

The critic gives the film a strongly positive verdict, calling the adaptation dizzyingly brilliant. Olivia Colman and Jessie Buckley are singled out for sharing the acting honours.

Lodge finds Gyllenhaal’s directorial debut thrilling, empathetic and bold in its portrayal of unorthodox femininity. He especially praises Olivia Colman and Jessie Buckley’s performances and their uncanny physical and gestural mirroring.

Rooney calls the film a highly accomplished, mesmerizing debut and an uncompromising character study. He praises the performances, especially Jessie Buckley’s portrayal of Leda’s conflicted feelings about motherhood and ambition.

Debruge praises the film as a brilliant, subversive drama, while noting its risks. He singles out Gyllenhaal’s nuanced direction and the performances of Olivia Colman and Jessie Buckley for conveying the story’s rich subtext.

Willmore calls the film an incredible debut and an unusually adult, precisely observed work. She particularly praises Olivia Colman and Jessie Buckley’s seamless performances and the film’s nuanced depiction of maternal ambivalence.

Murray finds the film haunting and astute, though its ending loses momentum and satisfaction. He praises how Gyllenhaal turns everyday frustrations and the regret of parenthood into nerve-jangling tension.

Bradshaw finds the film an absorbing, stylish psychological drama, though its ending is somewhat tame and implausible. He especially praises Olivia Colman’s rich, complex performance and Jessie Buckley’s complementary work as the younger Leda.

Newland finds the film a darkly compelling, slippery thriller that embraces the messiness of women’s lives. She especially praises Olivia Colman’s magnetic, nuanced performance and Gyllenhaal’s nonjudgmental depiction of motherhood.

Kemp finds the film sophisticated and seductive, though somewhat unwieldy and more questioning than conclusive. She singles out the performances and Gyllenhaal’s sensual visual style for praise.

The critic finds the film alluring, sharply unsettling and richly actorly. They especially praise the performances and the growing understanding between Leda and Nina.

The review presents the film positively, highlighting Olivia Colman’s tour-de-force performance. The visible text singles out her acting for praise.

Dargis gives the film a positive assessment, finding its portrait of motherhood compelling. She singles out Olivia Colman’s performance for praise.

Brody finds the film sluggish and dramatically diminished by its adaptation choices, yet calls it a major achievement. He praises its rare attention to women’s lives and intimate experience, while criticizing the loss of the novel’s reflective voice.

The critic finds the film ambitious and atmospheric but structurally unwieldy. Colman and Buckley’s gutsy performances are singled out as its strongest feature.

Copeman gives the film a mixed verdict, praising Olivia Colman’s performance. He considers Jessie Buckley miscast as the younger Leda.

The review finds the adaptation reductive and overly explanatory, despite its moments of insight. It praises Olivia Colman’s expressive performance while faulting the flashbacks for spelling out what made the novel compelling.

Behrooz finds the film devastating and perceptive in its exploration of motherhood, desire, and regret. She especially praises Gyllenhaal’s intimate camera work and fragmentary flashbacks, alongside Jessie Buckley’s performance.

The critic calls the film a triumphant, perceptive debut that explores the pressures society places on mothers. They especially praise Gyllenhaal’s nuanced direction and Olivia Colman’s emotionally expressive performance.

The critic calls the film brilliant and emotionally engrossing, praising Maggie Gyllenhaal’s sensitive handling of its women’s intersecting stories. They particularly single out the nuanced, nonjudgmental character arcs and the performances of the ensemble cast.

Amidon praises the film as an astute, complex portrait of womanhood and its painful expectations. She singles out Gyllenhaal’s tactile visual storytelling and the lead actresses’ performances, especially Olivia Colman’s.

Kaye calls the film an unsettling, poignant, terrific directorial debut, though its deliberate understatement and ambiguity may leave some viewers struggling to connect the dots. He especially praises Olivia Colman’s nuanced performance, alongside Jessie Buckley’s portrayal of young Leda.

Hammond finds the film a powerful, aching portrait of motherhood, though its difficult subject may not work for every audience. He especially praises Olivia Colman’s quietly expressive performance as a woman confronting her past.

The review finds the film an enthralling, daring portrait of a woman pulled between conflicting impulses. It particularly praises Olivia Colman’s masterful performance, while noting that some flashbacks lack subtlety.

Wilkinson finds the film compelling for its nuanced, non-judgmental view of motherhood. She particularly praises Olivia Colman and Jessie Buckley’s performances and the cinematography’s intimate framing.

Solomons finds the film a bold, thorny debut that falls short of its early promise. He praises the performances, especially Olivia Colman and Jessie Buckley, but faults the weak ending.