When you have three powerhouse actresses the caliber of Natasha Lyonne, Carrie Coon, and Elizabeth Olsen, there’s no reason to over-complicate a narrative. Luckily director Azazel Jacobs understands this and lets the three women cook in the emotionally devastating His Three Daughters.
Vincent (Jay O. Sanders) is dying of cancer. In his New York apartment, his daughters come together to accompany him in his final days. Eldest daughter Katie (Coon) is struggling to write his obituary while also desperately attempting to get a doctor to approve her father’s do-not-resuscitate order. Middle daughter Rachel (Lyonne), who has been living with Vincent and caring for him in the previous months, keeps to herself between blunt hits. Youngest daughter Christina (Olsen) longs to get back home to her daughter, while hoping to keep the peace of the household. The three women come together and wait for their father to die.
In what feels like an adaptation of a stage play (in a complementary way), the action is limited to the few rooms of a New York apartment as well as just outside. Instead of restricting the movement for the sake of staging, this film presents the apartment as a sort of tractor beam the three women can’t escape until the inevitable death of their father. It’s not where they want to be, it’s where they have to be.
Stories about the death of loved ones are not new, but this is a different perspective. There is no hope for the women’s father. They know he is dying and it’s just a matter of time. Instead of receiving the wave of grief upon death, instead they anticipate. It’s like the difference between someone telling you they will punch you and a sucker punch. You would rather have the relief of the unexpected rather than the pain you know will come. This gives the film added layers of tension. Even the relief of that tension will not be a happy experience.
Everything works because of the effectiveness of the performances. Coon starts the film as the motormouth eldest sister trying to get a handle on everything. Instead of relying on the cliché of older children needing control, she leans more into compensating for the lack of control she has in other parts of her life. She has a daughter she has no handle on, and a life without vision. She wants to bring in some control to a situation that has none. Coon’s character could have very easily been portrayed as the villain, but maintains a level of reality to the character that grows on the viewer as the film progresses.
Lyonne has the least to do, but embodies the character well. Rachel appears to be numb and avoiding the pain, but has much more going on under the surface. Outside of the apartment, she lights up the world around her, showing how reserved she is around her family in a situation she doesn’t want to be in. Jovan Adepo has a brief role as her boyfriend and makes the most of his limited screen time.
Meanwhile, Olsen gives what maybe her best performance. While Coon and Lyonne lean in to their screen personas, Olsen cultivates a particular type of character defined by her child and unable to be a normal human outside of that. Her one out-of-character show of emotion leads to a gentle apology where it certainly wasn’t needed. She is a woman of contradictions. She longs to be back home, but seems like she actually needs the time away for herself if she was able to relax. It’s a masterful performance. If anything is taken away from this film, it’s the massive capabilities of Olsen as a character actress.
Those looking for an emotionally charged adult drama with three of the best working actresses, His Three Daughters should be right up your alley.
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