There’s something fittingly bleak about a thriller like “Echo Valley” unfolding on a quiet, isolated horse ranch, which is a place that should feel peaceful, but here, feels anything but.
Julianne Moore and Sydney Sweeney lead this tightly coiled mother-daughter drama, and from the first trailer, I could tell this wasn’t your typical domestic story.
Now streaming on Apple TV Plus (June 13), “Echo Valley” is a slow-burn that relies heavily on building atmosphere through its central performances. I got to watch it early, and while it’s not the flashiest thriller out there, it’s the kind that leaves you feeling a bit hollow.
In fact, it ended up being a lot more emotionally charged than I expected. And if you’re a fan of character-driven stories with dark undercurrents and some surprisingly tense moments, this one’s worth a spot on your weekend watchlist.
So, if you want to know more before you hit play, here’s everything to know about “Echo Valley” now that it's available to stream.
What is ‘Echo Valley’ about?
“Echo Valley” follows Kate Garrett (Julianne Moore), a horse trainer living a quiet life on a secluded Pennsylvania farm. Her routine is shattered when her estranged daughter, Claire (Sydney Sweeney), arrives late one night in a frantic state, covered in blood that is not her own.
Claire claims she was involved in a violent altercation with her boyfriend. As details emerge, Kate finds herself faced with a harrowing decision that pulls her into a dangerous cover-up.
With law enforcement closing in and a threatening figure from Claire’s life (Domhnall Gleeson) surfacing, the tension escalates. As the mother and daughter attempt to stay one step ahead, their fractured bond is tested in unimaginable ways.
‘Echo Valley’ knows how to keep tension simmering
There’s nothing particularly outstanding about “Echo Valley” considering it leans heavily on familiar thriller tropes and doesn’t leave much that lingers in your mind afterward. Without Moore and Sweeney in the lead roles, I’m not sure it would’ve worked nearly as well. But thankfully, their performances elevate the material, turning it into a genuinely gripping watch.
The movie opens with a quietly unsettling question: If your daughter were caught in a storm of her own self-destruction, how far would you go to protect her? It’s just the first in a string of moral knots the story ties. Moore’s character, Kate, is quickly established as a struggling mother living alone, facing financial hardship, and still mourning the sudden loss of her wife in a tragic accident.
And then when Sweeney’s Claire shows up, ranting about the latest fight with her toxic boyfriend, the tone immediately shifts into something more suspicious-feeling. The more Kate tries to pull her daughter away from him, the more determined Claire seems to stay.
Moore nails the quiet torment of a mother caught in an impossible position — desperate to protect her child from danger, only to realize that the real threat might be her daughter herself.
There’s one emotionally charged scene, perhaps the best scene in terms of storytelling, where Claire throws everything she has at Kate in a desperate attempt to get money out of her. She lashes out violently, pulls her own hair, bites, screams things no parent should ever hear. It’s the moment that gave “Echo Valley” real weight.
The story itself could’ve benefited from getting the limited series treatment, just because it felt quite rushed, and there wasn’t really much time to connect with the characters on a deeper level. I actually found the third act quite draining since it veers away from the mother-daughter dynamic and shifts into more of a crime drama. I wish it had stayed focused on that complex relationship instead.
“Echo Valley” is an engaging thriller and I’m sure fans of the genre will find something to enjoy in it. There’s plenty of tension and surprising twists that give the narrative a little more depth. However, despite powerful performances from seasoned actors like Moore, Sweeney, and Gleeson, they’re ultimately up against a script that struggles to find a clear identity for the movie.
The mother-daughter relationship hints at deeper layers worth exploring, but the movie spends too much time spelling everything out instead of letting those complexities unfold naturally. Without that steady, unwavering love to ground it, the movie's abrupt shifts end up clouding what should be a heartfelt exploration of what truly endures through everything.
But, saying that, if you enjoy an intense psychological thriller that offers a few twists and turns, “Echo Valley” is still worth a watch, even for the performances alone — so long as you can tolerate a somewhat absurd ending.
‘Echo Valley’ reviews — what the critics are saying about this movie
At the time of writing (June 13), “Echo Valley” has a pretty disappointing score of 51% on Rotten Tomatoes. I’m surprised that it’s rated this low given its strong lead performances and genuinely gripping story. Hopefully, audiences will give it a higher rating, and based on reviews it seems like viewers genuinely enjoyed it.
Starting off positive, Lovia Gyarkye from The Hollywood Reporter said: “The film’s intimate scope — emotional betrayals provide the real thrills here — as well as its melancholic atmosphere and solid performances make this a satisfying streamer option.”
FandomWire’s Manuel São Bento also enjoyed the performances: “It may not be a memorable triumph as a whole, but it challenges the boundaries of love and morality through powerful turns by Julianne Moore and Sydney Sweeney, never losing the entertainment value needed to win over its target audience.”
So, if you take anything away from these reviews (and mine), it's that “Echo Valley” is much more effective because of Moore and Sweeney, and their dynamic on screen is compelling.
On the other hand, it seems the majority of reviews are pretty negative. David Ehrlich from IndieWire said: “Opting to embrace an increasingly soapy and sordid crime saga at the exact moment when it should be growing closer to its characters, the movie fatally diverts its attention from the unconditional love between them.” Unfortunately, I have to agree with this one.
Next Best Picture’s Katie Johnson stated that “there is the promise of something to chew on in the mystery of the mother-daughter relationship; however, too much of the runtime is spent on directly telling the audience what it’s trying to say.”
William Bibbiani from TheWrap had an interesting (but fun) way of putting it: “A potpourri of general genre genericness, never making enough noise to rattle, or even produce an echo.”
As mentioned before though, audience reactions are positive, with one user commenting that they “love the filmmaking, the performances, the cinematography, and — above all — the imposing sense of dread that was invoked in every frame.”
Another viewer said: “The twists and turns keep you on the edge of your seat. Julianne Moore and Sydney Sweeney's performances are fantastic, but the real star is Domhnall Gleeson.”
So while critics didn't come to love it as much, “Echo Valley” is still worth streaming, and I found it to be a compelling and thrilling watch, even if the storytelling felt a bit weak.
You need to stream ‘Echo Valley’ on Apple TV Plus
“Echo Valley” is a tense, emotionally charged thriller that explores the difficult, often messy bonds between family members facing unimaginable pressures. While the story stumbles and lacks real impact, there’s enough substance here to make it a gripping watch one evening.
Most of all, Moore brings enough emotion and nuance to what might have otherwise been a typical story about a fiercely protective mother. And it does stand out among other originals in the Apple TV Plus movie lineup.
You can stream “Echo Valley” on Apple TV Plus now. For more streaming recommendations, see what else got added to the service in June 2025.
More from Tom's Guide
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
