Film Review: ‘His Three Daughters’ is Quite the Acting Showcase

To watch His Three Daughters is to watch an acting showcase. All three of the leading ladies are phenomenal, in service of a simple story with a ton of layers. If the premise and initial execution seems like it would be almost better suited to the stage, by the end it all comes together beautifully. I was compelled by every interaction and scene in this film, but there’s one sequence towards the end that just blew me away. That’s when this movie goes from just being very good to out and out great. Netflix has something wonderful on their hands here.

His Three Daughters lives and dies on its central trio, so having such an eclectic mix of actresses is a real boon. There’s some dark humor to be found, but this is a very dramatic and actually sad story, building up to moments you know to expect, yet still find massively effective when they occur. It’s a masterclass in acting, strong writing, and not doing too much when what you have on display is working so well.

Three estranged sisters have converged on the small New York City apartment where their ailing father Vincent (Jay O. Sanders) still lives. He’s dying, so it has brought his daughters home. Katie (Carrie Coon) is a mother in Brooklyn now, needing to be in control of everything, while trying to deal with her teen daughter at home. Christina (Elizabeth Olsen) is more of a free spirit and a newer mom, separated from them for the first time and struggling to handle it. Then there’s their half-sister Rachel (Natasha Lyonne). She’s never left her father’s apartment, spending her days getting stoned and betting on sports. Katie and Christina share a different mother than Rachel, but more than that, they view the world differently. In particular, Katie and Rachel continually clash.

Whether it’s Rachel smoking, having her friend Benji (Jovan Adepo) over, or anything in terms of their father’s care, the two butt heads, with Christina often in the middle. As Vincent gets closer and closer to death, the three days depicted show the siblings struggling to relate. However, we also see the love they have for each other, as well as for Vincent, which comes home in a brilliant moment towards the end I’d dare not spoil.

The trio of Carrie Coon, Natasha Lyonne, and Elizabeth Olsen are putting on an acting clinic. Coon showcases a strong personality concealing deeper concerns, while Olsen plays a seemingly mellow type also with more bubbling beneath the surprise. Then, there’s Lyonne, who has never been better as the seeming slacker who is dealing with the impending loss in a far more visceral manner. The three ladies have wonderful chemistry with each other, really coming off as siblings. Jovan Adepo has a lovely scene where he stands up to Coon, while Jay O. Sanders is mostly unseen, though when we do, he truly makes the most of it. The rest of the small supporting cast includes Rudy Galvan, but it’s Coon, Lyonne, and Olsen shining.

Writer/director Azazel Jacobs really breaks through here, essaying a bittersweet work that has laughs as well as tears. The direction is admittedly simple and does make you wonder if this was once a play, but the writing is just so good. The layers on each character, especially Lyonne’s, is incredible. It all builds incredibly well, including up to the moment that moved me so strongly. Jacobs has been doing interesting work for years, but His Three Daughters is on a whole other level.

Netflix should be able to get some awards traction for this flick. Carrie Coon and especially Natasha Lyonne deserve consideration in either Best Actress or Best Supporting Actress, while Elizabeth Olsen shouldn’t be ignored in Supporting Actress. Lyonne is the best bet for an acting nomination, while Azazel Jacobs should be a player in Best Original Screenplay. As for Best Picture, I suspect Netflix has bigger fish to fry, but it’s worthy of at least being considered.

His Three Daughters is a knockout. I was expecting strong acting and perhaps little else, but I wound up with a full cinematic year. If the movie were a little shorter, it would be damn near perfect. Netflix has held on to this one for almost a year, but they knew they had something good on their hands. Now, you can see for yourself, and this is one not to miss!

SCORE: ★★★1/2