Echo Valley

3 Thoughts After Watching ‘Echo Valley’:

1. Do NOT let her in. I repeat, do NOT let her back in. Ugh. NOT. WORTH. IT. I spent most of this movie angry.

2. This is absolutely one of those movies you should know nothing about going in. The twists feel like they just keep on comin’. And you’d be genius to figure it all out. Don’t ruin it.

3. Julianne Moore continues to perform on a whole ‘nother level. And Fiona Shaw shines _(as per usual)_ as the bestest friend one could ever ask for.

This movie was a much better Thriller than some of the comments here would make you believe. There was a tad bit over-Dramatic scenes here and there where Sydney Sweeney was over-acting (or wrongly Directed) to the point that the whole scene becomes annoying. However, if you ignore her over-acting in this movie (Note: the character she plays is important to the plot), you'll find out that both Domhnall Gleeson, Julianne Moore and Fiona Shaw give us a compelling movie.

Good little thriller all around with some tense moments and a tight plot.

Review: Echo Valley – A Quiet Thriller About the Trap of Victimhood That Sneaks Up on You

I didn’t think I was going to like Echo Valley. Early on, it felt like yet another somber character study about a sad, emotionally walled-off woman trudging through grief. I found myself getting impatient with Julianne Moore’s character—too quiet, too clenched, too stuck. My gut reaction was, “Okay, we get it. You’re broken. Move on already.”

But by the time the credits rolled, I realized: that was the point.

What starts as a slow-burn drama about loss and trauma quietly transforms into a nuanced meditation on the seductive comfort of victimhood—and what it costs to escape it. Julianne Moore gives a tightly coiled performance, full of quiet anguish and understated strength. She doesn’t play a victim so much as a woman who’s learned to survive by keeping her pain close, and her joy at arm’s length.

Domhnall Gleeson is chilling in his restraint, embodying what happens when you let victimhood rot into violence and detachment. And Kyle MacLachlan—who I assumed would be a major player when he appeared—gets barely two minutes of screen time. But those two minutes are pivotal. His character, with quiet stoicism and no shortage of reluctance, models what it looks like to move on. He becomes the counterpoint to Moore’s emotional limbo—a living example of what it means to leave the valley, metaphorically and literally.

Sydney Sweeney, on the other hand, feels a bit too familiar in her role. While she hits the marks emotionally, the character felt too close to her performances in The White Lotus and other recent roles: another whiny, self-absorbed, emotionally combustible young woman who seems to confuse chaos with depth. At this point, it’s less a character than a brand. She’s talented, no question, but here, she’s recycling.

Then there’s Fiona Shaw—maybe the film’s secret weapon. As the loyal friend and emotional ballast, she plays the role that holds everything together. She’s not a moral compass in the preachy sense—she’s just present, constant, human. The final montage (which oddly echoes the vibe of a heist movie epilogue) showcases Shaw’s quiet complicity and grace. She doesn’t need big speeches—she shows up. Always. And that’s what makes her character land so well.

By the end, I didn’t just feel satisfied—I felt subtly re-educated. Echo Valley asks its audience to do something rare these days: sit with discomfort, and reconsider their snap judgments. It’s not flashy, it’s not loud, but it lingers. It’s a film about people trapped in their own narratives, and what it takes to quietly write a new one.

I came in annoyed. I left impressed.

It was good, not great.

First half of the movie is boring, second half is good.

Imagine living your life peacefully... and suddenly, your daughter is affecting the house, covered in blood... and you say, "Something happened, but I can't explain."
The film's story takes place in the quiet Pennsylvania countryside. Kate lives a simple, quiet life, working in Istanbul, making horses and trying to forget her painful past. But everything changes suddenly... the day her daughter, Claire, returns home, covered in blood, harboring a big secret that could destroy everything.
From there, a tense journey begins, intertwined with feelings of guilt, love, and fear, everything becoming heavier and more intense moment by moment.
This journey is a film of drama and mystery. Julianne Moore's acting was beautiful, especially in the dramatic and mystery scenes, and her movements didn't reveal any emotion. However, the Brazilian scenes weren't strong, and I didn't feel the emotion in them.
As for Sydney Sweeney, I felt her performance was weak, as if she hadn't studied it; her acting was a bit popular. But to be honest, there's a powerful scene that reminds me of Leonardo DiCaprio's in The Basketball Diaries.
The cinematography was excellent, and it wasn't set in the countryside, which gave the film a nice atmosphere.
Overall, the film is average, with good acting, except for Julianne Moore, who nailed the role.
My rating for the film: 6 out of 10

Despite some unlikable characters and a plot like Swiss cheese, it’s a watchable flick with a great cast, good acting and decent cinematography.

Reasonable enough movie even if the ending is somewhat predictable. Cast did a good job IMO but the movie is 1h 45m long and a good hour plus of that is just irrelevant filler that adds nothing to the story, had it not been for that the movie could well have been a 7 instead of 5. Worth I watch if you can put up with the padding I suppose but I think other movies have executed similar plot lines much better.

Corny story. More LGBTQ+ cheese