#daughtermovie

[fearsmagazine]

DAUGHTER - Review

DISTRIBUTOR: DARKSTAR Pictures

SYNOPSIS:  A young woman is kidnapped and inducted into a bizarre family as their new surrogate daughter. As she navigates through this twisted dynamic, awful secrets about the past are revealed, leading to even darker implications about the future.

REVIEW: Filmmaker Corey Deshon makes his entry into directing feature films with a tale about a family ruled over by a fatherly religious zealot who is trying to shape his “son” for a dark future. When one of the family members, sister, is sacrificed he finds a replacement in order to maintain a sense of stability for his son. Still, what is true and what are fabrications to keep them hostage to their fears of the outside world.

Corey Deshon’s screenplay is peppered with a variety of elements lifted from today’s headlines. His “father” character feels lifted from many of the real-life fanatics that live out in the middle of nowhere where they spout their abusive and mid-controlling take on scripture to keep their flock in line. Corey presents a patriarch who believes he is acting with only good intentions, that is unless someone presents a contrast to his point of view. “Mother” is going along for the ride by the promise that once “son/brother” is of age he will let them go. The new “sister/daughter” quickly figures out “father’s” triggers and plays his game as she begins her psychological warfare. Corey creates this visual waltz of wits, but “son/brother” remains innocent at the eye of the storm. The dialogue between the adults is engaging, but only scratches the surface. Even when “sister/daughter” and “father” go head-to-head  it doesn't push the envelope. That could have been due in part given the background and character arc for “sister/daughter,” a discussion between the actor and the director.

I enjoyed the cast and felt their energy added to the pacing of the film. Casper Van Dien delivers an impressive performance. There are times it feels like he is channeling Michael Madsen’s darkside, and to his credit he also projects a sincerity and empathy. He sells what the character is selling and shows a range I don’t think I’ve seen before. Actor Ian Alexander, best known for their motion capture work and voicing Lev in the video game “The Last of Us Part II” and as Gray Tal in “Star Trek: Discovery,” creates an innocent, naïve acolyte that is believable and you feel for. It’s interesting how they allow the viewer to feel “brother” is outside the unfolding drama, yet is open to and curious about what “sister/daughter” presents. Vivien Ngô is perfect as “sister,” slowly laying out her plan as she mentally spars with “father.” Vivien Ngô is a versatile filmmaker/actress who presents a rational argument as to why “mother” is going along with father’s plan. It’s an interesting character that adds another dimension to the tale. There is a nice dynamic among the cast that keeps the story flowing.

For his first outing behind the camera, Corey Deshon does a splendid job of orchestrating this 90 minute thriller. The location and production design, as well as the costumes, give the film a timeless feel. There also seems to be a bit of a uniform and hierarchy structure to the costume designs that plays into the narrative. The cinematography provides a plausibility that this could be set in a future time where the world is suffering from more of the catastrophic effects of climate change.  Layered into the visuals and accentuating the performances is David Strother’s score. The central sound of the violin adds a Midwest feel, as well as a dissonance that fosters tension and suspense.

While we’ve seen similar stories of this type, Corey Deshon’s DAUGHTER is a more intimate, psychological game of wits with enough ambiguity to provide a fresh feel. The tale and performances are engaging, and at a 95 minute running time has a nice pace. There is an interesting sidebar that is brought to light with a clip shown a short time into the credits. It raises more questions than it resolves, and I would have liked a bit more details about that. Regardless, Corey Deshon proves his chops as a director and, during an interview revealed he has another genre project in mind, I am itching to see what he does next.

CAST: Casper Van Dien, Elyse Dinh, Vivien Ngô and Ian Alexander CREW: Director/Screenplay/Producer - Corey Deshon; Producers - Tracy Chitupatham, Vivien Ngô, & Jes Vu; Cinematographer - Hana Kitasei; Score - David Strother; Editor - Nicholas Larrabure; Production Designer - Emily Peters; Costume Designer - Angelique Rousset-Johnson; Visual Effects - IIW STUDIO; Visual Effect Supervisor - Paul Gaulier. OFFICIAL: N.A. FACEBOOK: N.A. TWITTER: N.A. TRAILER: https://youtu.be/EmeOG7aZhXg RELEASE DATE: In Theaters, On Digital and On Demand February 10, 2023

**Until we can all head back into the theaters our “COVID Reel Value” will be similar to how you rate a film on digital platforms - 👍 (Like), 👌 (It’s just okay),  or 👎 (Dislike)

Reviewed by Joseph B Mauceri

[thenerdsofcolor]

Discussing Vietnamese Representation with the Cast of 'Daughter'

Discussing Vietnamese Representation with the Cast of 'Daughter' #DaughterMovie @vivientngo @CoreyDeshon @ianaIexander #ElyseDinh

The new thriller Daughter is hitting theaters and VOD. The film is the feature directorial debut of Corey Deshon, and is a tense slow burn, following in the footsteps of first time features like Jordan Peele’s Get Out and Dan Trachtenberg’s 10 Cloverfield Lane. And we were very lucky to speak with the cast of this smart, and suspenseful psychological thriller! (more…) “”

[fearsmagazine]

Writer & Director COREY DESHON Discusses His Feature Film Directorial Debut DAUGHTER.

In DAUGHTER a young woman is kidnapped and inducted into a bizarre family as their new surrogate daughter. As she navigates through this twisted dynamic, awful secrets about the past are revealed, leading to even darker implications about the future.  Daughter stars Casper Van Dien, Elyse Dinh, Vivien Ngô and Ian Alexander.

Corey Deshon studied music as a child. He attended the University of Central Florida where he received a Bachelor of Science in Information Technology before going to UCLA to study Producing in 2013. President & Founder of Thirteenth Floor Pictures a Los Angeles based media production company specializing in Film, Music, and Photography. An award-winning filmmaker and photographer, Corey is known for his 2018 work as a Writer and Consulting Producer on the series A Million Little Things. His film DAUGHTER, which he wrote, marks his feature film directing debut.

Director & Writer Corey Deshon

The music heard in the the episode is from the score and other musical pieces by composer David Strother, who scored DAUGHTER.

DAUGHTER will be screening February 10th, 2023, in theaters, Digital and On Demand from Darkstar Pictures.

[fearsmagazine]

DAUGHTER - Official Trailer, Poster & Images

A young woman is kidnapped and inducted into a bizarre family as their new surrogate daughter.

(L-R) Elyse Dinh as Mother, Casper Van Dien as Father, Vivien Ngô as Sister, and Ian Alexander as Brother in the thriller film, DAUGHTER, a Dark Star Pictures release. Photo courtesy of Dark Star Pictures.

As she navigates through this twisted dynamic, awful secrets about the past are revealed, leading to even darker implications about the future.  

(L-R) Ian Alexander as Brother and Vivien Ngô as Sister in the thriller film, DAUGHTER, a Dark Star Pictures release. Photo courtesy of Dark Star Pictures.

Starring Casper Van Dien, Elyse Dinh, Vivien Ngô and Ian Alexander, and written and directed by Corey Deshon.

(L-R) Casper Van Dien as Father and Ian Alexander as Brother in the thriller film, DAUGHTER, a Dark Star Pictures release. Photo courtesy of Dark Star Pictures.

DARKSTAR Pictures will release DAUGHTER In Theaters, On Digital and On Demand February 10, 2023, and on DVD May 9, 2023.