His Three Daughters movie review

MOVIE TITLE: His Three Daughters

This dramatic movie is now in select theaters and on Netflix.

RATING: R

LENGTH: 1 hour 41 minutes

Movie Review Mom GRADE: B+

IN A NUTSHELL:

The story is about three sisters who gather in their father’s New York City apartment to care for him and say goodbye during his last few days of life.

This film hit me hard and was difficult to watch because last year, I lost 3 parents in 3 months. Having to say goodbye to parents is hard enough if everyone is on good terms, but everything becomes much more complicated with siblings and half-siblings, like in this film. The movie did a great job illustrating how difficult it is to navigate all of that. Waiting for the imminent death of a loved one is truly brutal and heart wrenching.

The film was written and directed by Azazel Jacobs. Already, the movie has won an Honors Award as the 2024 Winner by the San Francisco Film Awards. Congrats to the cast and crew!

THINGS I LIKED:

The three leading ladies are absolutely terrific. Excellent performances all around. The cast truly spotlights the talents of Natasha Lyonne, Elizabeth Olsen, and Carrie Coon.
Great camera work, especially in tight spaces!
I’ve always liked one-location movies. This film utilizes the apartment spaces extremely well.
Something really sweet and profound happens toward the end of the movie.
Netflix purchased the worldwide rights for this movie for $7 million.
The clever dialogue offers some much-needed humor to balance the sorrow.
A lot of profound wisdom is seen and heard in this script.

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE:

Audiences need to know this is not a feel-good movie. There is love there, but it’s still a depressing, hard-to-watch film. Bring tissues. The tears will flow. Mine did.
Hospice workers may not be pleased with how they are perceived in this movie. Two of the workers in the film are shown to be either unsympathetic or offering illegal advice to the sisters.

TIPS FOR PARENTS:

Kids will be extremely bored.
Profanity, including many F-bombs
One of the sisters smokes quite a few joints.
Talk of DNR (Do Not Resuscitate)
Lots of talk of death

THEMES:

Hospice
Death watch
Sisterhood
Control
Conflict
Dysfunctional families
End-of-life care
Connection
Family relationships
Honest communication
Regrets

FUNNY LINES:

“Do you think watching will change the outcome?” – Katie (Carrie Coon)

INTERESTING LINES:

“It’s easy to forget the outside exists.” – Christina (Elizabeth Olsen)
“No one ever gives me space to be anyone else.” – Katie (Carrie Coon)
‘Just because I don’t complain doesn’t mean I don’t have issues.” – Christina (Elizabeth Olsen)
“The only way to communicate how death truly feels is through absence. Everything else is fantasy.” – Christina (Elizabeth Olsen)
“I thank you for doing better than me, for doing more.” – Vincent (Jay O. Sanders)
“We know each of us will die with at least one regret.” – Vincent (Jay O. Sanders)