His Three Daughters is Simultaneously Heartwarming and Heart-Wrenching

Photo by Sam Levy/Netflix - © 2024 Netflix, Inc

Almost a year after its Toronto debut, His Three Daughters has finally hit UK cinemas following Netflix's acquisition of the film, and it's easy to see why they went for it. Azazel Jacobs delivers a touching interpretation of a harrowing predicament, constructing the narrative in such a manner that even the most deadpan of audiences are sure to crack, especially towards the end. The drama plays into the complexity of family dynamics through a medium of striking cinematography and a medley of monologues sprinkled throughout the dialogue to accentuate the depth of each character.

The story follows three sisters as they navigate the imminent passing of their father, an impending tragedy which has confined them to the same little New York apartment in a forced reunification. The dynamic between the three is quickly established, as an argument breaks out a mere few minutes in, effectively revealing the age order to the audience as well as setting up the methods of how we'll see each sister cope later on.

It's hard to express the individuality of each sister without praising the actresses who captured each personality so perfectly. Carrie Coon as Katie was a testimony of the weight carried by the eldest sister, and how stress can easily translate to anger in taxing circumstances. We see Katie hyperfixate on getting a DNR form signed, and it becomes evident that she distracts herself by funnelling her energy into completing a task, rather than letting herself get hung up on being sorrowful.

Rachel (Natasha Lyonne) is the epitome of the misunderstood middle sister who went a little rogue. It's easy to mistake her detached nature as disinterest, but she just expresses her love and concern about their father a little differently. Her approach of weed to take her mind off things seems to be pretty effective, but coupled with her sisters taking the brunt of the caregiving duties, it's not a good look in their eyes.

The anxiety bubbling out from Christina (Elizabeth Olsen) is immediately apparent and not a surprise as she falls into the role of the mediator, opting for meditation in order to calm herself, but ultimately being unsuccessful due to the rampant conflict in the apartment. Juggling trying to keep the peace between her sisters whilst also caring for their sick father expresses Christina's nurturing nature, which is backed up by her frequent mention of her family and worry for how they're doing.

We are able to focus so intently on each sister and their differences due to the narrative choice of withholding seeing their father for most of the movie, despite him being the central driving force of the plotline. This makes it all the more powerful when [spoiler] we are finally introduced to him and he's shown to be alright, suggesting that now his daughters have made up, he'll be okay and can finally let go. Of course this scene is not only emotionally tender, but also essential in revealing some backstory as to why each woman turned out the way they did, and of course the anecdotal elements that really get the tears going.

The music throughout is gentle and not overpowering, much like the colours and cinematography, again this lets the audience focus on the story and characters, whilst also producing a homely, comforting feel especially though the use of warm orange tones. Every element works seamlessly together to produce a moving tale of love, loss, and family.