In this story, Helena is living a regular life in the suburbs with her husband. But she has a hidden secret about her father. He once held her and her mother captive in a wild, remote place. After 20 years, Helena decides to confront her father and finally break free from her past.
Review: The Marsh King’s Daughter
This movie, “The Marsh King’s Daughter,” seems like it’s going to be an exciting crime-drama, but it falls short of our expectations. It has an interesting plot, but it doesn’t give us the important details we want. The story is intense and serious, which can be entertaining, but it rushes through the important parts, leaving us feeling unsatisfied. It’s based on a popular book by Karen Dionne and has some strong acting, but the screenplay is not as strong as it should be.
Right from the start, the movie tells us that “family protection” is crucial. We can see where the story is going, but it doesn’t take the time to explain these important elements properly. The story moves really fast, and we don’t get to understand the characters well, especially Jacob, who is a central character. We don’t know why he kidnapped his wife, why he chose to live in a remote place, or how he survived a deadly car crash.
The story revolves around Jacob, his wife Beth, and their daughter Helena. Beth was kidnapped by Jacob 12 years ago, and she tries to escape their isolated home in the marshland. But Helena doesn’t want to leave. Then, the story jumps 20 years into the future, and we see that Helena now has a stable married life. The police tell her that her father might try to contact her after escaping from prison, and she has to face her troubled past. She also has to explain her background to her husband, Stephen. As she starts noticing signs of her father’s presence, she realizes it’s time to confront her past.
The movie’s cast is the best part. Daisy Ridley plays Helena, and she does a great job showing the pain and turmoil from her past. Ben Mendelsohn, who plays Jacob, is also excellent as the creepy bad guy. But the movie doesn’t go deep into the emotions of the characters and their traumas, so it feels like they missed an opportunity to make the characters more real and relatable.