Sydney Sweeney's New Movie Tops Apple TV+, but Flops on All Fronts With 47% on RT

Apple TV+'s Echo Valley appeared to have all the ingredients for a successful movie: Julianne Moore and Sydney Sweeney as the leads, Kyle MacLachlan and Domhnall Gleeson in supporting roles, and Brad Ingelsby, author of the critically acclaimed Mare of Easttown, among the screenwriters.

However, an impressive cast and crew cannot guarantee a film's success, and the failure of Echo Valley is clear proof of this.

What Is 'Echo Valley' About?

Kate is a recently widowed woman who lives alone on the Echo Valley farm. She has almost no means of support – she spent all her savings unsuccessfully trying to treat her daughter Claire's drug addiction.

One day, Claire comes to Kate and asks for money. She accidentally threw away her boyfriend's bag, which contained illegal substances. Now, they must return $10,000 to their dealer.

The twist: A few days later, Claire returns home in tears with bloodstains on her clothes. Kate can't imagine what her daughter has done or what sacrifice she will have to make for her.

'Echo Valley' Follows in 'Mare of Easttown's Footsteps, but Fails to Deliver

As in Mare of Easttown, the main character in Echo Valley is a tired middle-aged woman with a bunch of problems.

While the show with Kate Winslet tells the story of one family's destruction over the course of seven episodes without ever letting the viewer get bored, almost nothing seems to happen in an hour and a half in Echo Valley.

What went wrong: Ingelsby is in no hurry to develop the story. Often, viewers are forced to admire the smooth surface of a lake and reflect on the difficult lot of the mother. It is only in the second half that the movie finally picks up the pace and throws in a few twists, but this does not save Echo Valley.

'Echo Valley' Is a Run-Of-The-Mill Crime Thriller That Isn't Worth Your Time

Echo Valley is a not-so-bad thriller, but it falls short as a crime drama. The problems of drug addicts and their families are frequently depicted on screen, and Ingelsby does little more than offer general statements about the dangers of illegal substances and the suffering of addicts and their loved ones.

We know from Mare of Easttown that Ingelsby is a talented screenwriter, but perhaps he struggles in a full-length format.

The silver lining: The only reasons to watch Echo Valley are the abundance of A-list actors and picturesque shots.

But there is nothing else to praise the creators for.

What Did Critics & Viewers Think of 'Echo Valley'?

The Guardian critic Peter Bradshaw gave Echo Valley two out of five stars, saying:

“After an intriguing opening, the convoluted narrative doesn't merely jump the shark but lies down and lets the shark jump over it.”

• Echo Valley has 51% from critics and 47% from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes.

• On IMDb, the movie has a score of 6.2/10.