His Three Daughters: A Movie Review

The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the views of Her Campus.

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at SPU chapter.

*Contains Spoilers 

His Three Daughters, a 2023 film, is a beautiful tearjerker portraying the story of three women coming back to their childhood apartment as their father is put in hospice care. Each sister is unique, and the film explores their relationships with each other and their father. I liked this film for a couple of reasons.

The first is its play-like script and style. The movie was full of long monologues completed in one-take, making it feel much more raw and gritty. Grief was almost an unclaimed fourth character in the sisters’ home. You don’t get to see their father till the very end of the film. The movie takes place primarily in their apartment. For the majority of screen time, you only see his bedroom door and hear his various monitors beep. The unknown of their father pulls the viewer into the unknown that grief and death are in the human experience. The film is slow, but not in a boring way. There are a few moments of comedic relief that not only re-engage you as an audience member, but also mirror how such moments often bubble up in intense periods of grief in real life. This film definitely will bring up the memories of loved ones lost, so watch it knowing that going in. I found it a melancholy comfort. Perfect for a day when you feel a little sad already. 

Second, the actresses did an amazing job showing the dynamics of an oldest, middle, and youngest siblings. Without explicitly discussing their birth order, it was very obvious who was who. Carrie Coon took on the overbearing and extremely organized oldest sister, while Elizabeth Olsen played the zen and somewhat removed middle child. Natasha Lyonne played the youngest sister doing what she wanted when she wanted, often driving her eldest sister up the wall. The eldest daughter took on the role of mom, often cooking and cleaning the house as a coping mechanism. The middle was the mediator.  A little removed from the family, she was often the calming voice amongst the bickering and sometimes yelling matches between the oldest and youngest. The youngest is a bit of an underdog. While a stoner who still lives at home, she was her dad’s caretaker up until he was put in hospice. A little ragged and offbeat, she loves her family dearly and is deeply misunderstood by her drill sergeant of an older sister. Unpacking how three people could be so different while all being raised the same is the mystery the sisters explore. It seems the question, why can’t you be more like me, is what each sister is silently asking. Why can’t you grieve like me, lead a life like me, etc? 

Third, it does the passing of a loved one right. There is anger, numbness, denial, laughter, gratitude, hope, fear, pain, and reconciliation. For those looking for a happy ending, this movie isn’t for you. Death reminds each sister of her fragility. One shakes her fists at it, the other embraces it through yoga and breathing exercises and the third takes hit after hit of marijuana and hides in her room. Only the impossible task of writing their father’s obituary makes them all work together to try to capture in words the very essence of their father whom they loved so deeply.  Huddled around their kitchen table, I was reminded of my grandfathers who have passed and a million things that remind me of them, the hundreds of stories I recall. While I miss them dearly, this film felt cathartic. It allowed me to step back into the headspace of really missing them. It wasn’t depressing or immobilizing. The movie ends with a beautiful monologue from the father, describing his love for the three of them and how much they need each other. However, you’re left uncertain if the father’s monologue was ever delivered to the sisters or if it was just a fantastical depiction of being on death’s door. The sisters talk about how death is often overdone in entertainment, often too fantastical. Either way, the film leaves you thinking about family and the fragility of life.