Echo Valley is a film that received a limited release this weekend, but will be available for streaming on Apple TV+ this upcoming Friday. Directed by Michael Pearce & written by Brad Ingelsby, the film stars Julianne Moore, Sydney Sweeney, Domhnall Gleeson, Kyle MacLachlan, and Fiona Shaw. A tragedy-stricken woman lives a secluded life taking care of horses on her farm – until one night when her wayward daughter shows up covered in someone else’s blood.

Julianna Moore is back again with another new thriller that will be releasing on Apple TV+. Her last film that released on the streamer, Sharper, premiered two years ago. If we are lucky enough, we may soon get a Julianne Moore trilogy about deceit and involving wild twists, because there is some similarity between this and Sharper. While I did not see the limited theatrical release due to where I am located, Apple TV+ was kind enough to give me early access to the film before it makes its streaming debut.

The film has a similar tone to something that reminds me of what I used to rent back in the 1990’s/2000’s. The concept and the way it moves feels like one of those movies they don’t make anymore, and simply something that only a streaming service like Apple TV+ or Netflix would take on. Between the twists and the performances, this is really not something they make much of anymore, and I am so glad they do.

Julianne Moore is electrifying in the lead role, but that should come as no surprise. She makes everything she touches even better. It seems like she has been done more things for streaming than ever before. As much as I prefer the theatrical experience, I feel like we should be lucky we get to see more of her. Her character in this film comes with a lot of baggage and unique characterization that shows how flawed she is, but also just how far she will go for her daughter. It’s a performance that feels memorable and yet something unlike Moore has ever done before.

The film does a great job at developing its story and how Moore’s character fits into all of it. It feels like it takes its time to develop her & Sweeney’s character’s relationship as mother & daughter, even if I would have liked to have seen more done with Sweeney and how she got to the way she is. The first half does have the formulaic structure where it feels like something you’ve seen plenty of times before. Instead, it does that to reel you in to deliver something completely unpredictable in its first half.

The second half completely threw me off. Never in a million years would I have guessed it go in the direction that it does. Even though it can be quite unbelievable at times, I still admire how the film tries to differentiate itself from anything else. The twists can sometimes be a stretch and characters could easily resolve certain situations sooner, but it’s still quite entertaining for what it is. With a reasonable runtime of about 100-minutes, there’s not much more that you could ask for aside from a conclusion that could have resolved one particular plot point.

Domhnall Gleeson’s career seems to be taking an interesting direction as of late between this and Fountain of Youth, both Apple TV+ movies, ironically. This is the better movie, but you can see where the actor is trying to do something new that helps push his talents into unknown territory. Unfortunately, I don’t think his direction nor his characterization quite work. His character lacks the proper motivation for the things that he does. As intimidating as Gleeson makes this character, the writing for this character often leads to him making some ridiculous decisions that don’t always work.

With such an impressive cast attached, I don’t think the film entirely utilizes them all to its fullest potential. Sweeney’s name will be an easy draw for some viewers. Based on what we have seen from her talents in the past, it feels like the film truly undermines what she can do here outside of one very intense scene with Moore’s character. Then, there’s Kyle MacLachlan who is only there as a comfort screen presence who is quickly ignored. There was more potential involving his character.

Overall, Echo Valley is an entertaining thrill ride anchored by an incredible performance from Julianne Moore. The film boasts many talented names as much as it pulls of its twists and turns. It can be quite ridiculous at times and it certainly won’t be a game changer. Name recognition might convince those to sign up for the streamer if they haven’t already. If you do have it, it’s a good one-time watch.

VERDICT: 3/5 (Good)