Azazel Jacobs’s latest film “His Three Daughters” allows viewers to see the emotional turbulence that comes with death and family dynamics, focusing on three sisters as they come together for their father’s final days.
This touching drama touches on love, loss and the ties that bind siblings. If you’re a fan of movies that make you reflect on life and relationships, this one hits all the right notes.
The story is simple yet powerful. The three sisters – each with distinct personalities – gather at their dying father’s small New York apartment. Their father, Vincent (Jay O. Sanders), is barely conscious as he succumbs to cancer.
The film’s brilliance lies in how each daughter responds differently to the father’s impending death.
The sisters, played with depth and honesty by Carrie Coon (Katie), Natasha Lyonne (Rachel), and Elizabeth Olsen (Christina), bring a rawness to the screen that makes it impossible to watch without reflecting on your own family.
Katie is the anxious and hard headed, type-A personality, who feels burdened by her family’s demands, and resentful toward Rachel for being their father’s primary caregiver.
Rachel, who still lives in their father's apartment and has been looking after him for years, carries her own bitterness.
The sisters may be united by their ailing father but they are worlds apart in their relationship with him and each other. Resentments bottle up, especially as Katie and Christina feel like outsiders in Rachel's domain.
Rachel has been caring for their father while they’ve been busy living their own lives. The tension is thick, not just from their estranged relationships but from deeper issues like money and inheritance.
Katie, in particular, resents that Rachel is set to inherit their father’s apartment, accusing her of only sticking around for personal gain.
Olsen, famous for her portrayal of Wanda Maximoff in the Marvel Universe, delivers a sensitive and layered performance as Christina, the youngest sister.
Olsen presents Christina as free-spirited but emotionally grounded, someone who tries to avoid conflict while quietly wrestling with her own fear of loss. Though her sisters often dismiss her as flighty or immature, Olsen’s portrayal reveals Christina’s inner strength.
Lyonne, often seen in more rebellious roles in “Russian Doll” and “Orange is the New Black,” brings a more restrained yet powerful presence as Rachel. She channels Rachel’s mix of defiance and vulnerability, making her more than just the stoner sister.
Family dynamics are complicated and the film doesn’t shy away from it. This adds another layer of tension, with the sisters making assumptions about each other that aren’t entirely fair or accurate.
The film does a fantastic job showing how families – no matter how fractured – find themselves united in the face of death.
While the theme is heavy, there are moments of humour throughout, which bring a sense of warmth and humanity to the story.
∎ “His Three Daughters” is streaming on Netflix.