“Echo Valley” Movie Review: Is Michael Pearce’s Thriller Worth Watching?

Look at the film itself, from its story to the performances to its release date, where to watch it, and everything.

‘Echo Valley’. A thriller suspense by the director “Michael Pearce”.

If you’re wondering what it’s like or if it’s worth watching, here’s a look at the film itself, from its story to the performances.

Release Date

It was released globally on Apple TV+ on June 13, 2025. It also had a limited theatrical release in the United States and Canada on June 6, 2025.

cast

The movie Echo Valley has a great group of actors. Here’s the cast list:

Main Leads

• Julianne Moore as Kate Garrett
  • Main Role: “Julianne” (64 years old )plays Kate, a mom who runs a horse farm and has to protect her daughter.
  • Other famous work: She won an Oscar for “Still Alice“, and was also in big movies like “The Hours“ and “Jurassic Park: The Lost World.”

• Sydney Sweeney as Claire Garrett
• Main Role: She (27 years) She plays Claire, Kate’s troubled daughter.
• Other famous work: You probably know her from TV shows like “Euphoria” and “The White Lotus.” She also starred in the recent romantic comedy “Anyone But You.” Sydney is such a talented and pretty actress, also very famous among the youth; she has over 25 Million followers on instagram.

Supporting Cast

• Domhnall Gleeson as Jackie
  • Supporting Role: He plays a local criminal who causes problems.
  • Other famous work: He’s been in “About Time“, “Ex Machina“, and was “General Hux” in the “Star Wars” movies.
• Kyle MacLachlan as Richard Garrett
  • Supporting Role: He plays Kate’s ex-husband and Claire’s dad.
  • Other famous work: He’s very famous for the TV show “Twin Peaks” and also appeared in “Sex and the City.”
• Fiona Shaw as Jessie Oliver
  • Supporting Role: She plays Kate’s loyal friend.
  • Other famous work: She was Aunt Petunia in the “Harry Potter” movies and also in the show “Killing Eve.”
• Edmund Donovan as Ryan
  • Supporting Role: He plays Claire’s boyfriend.
  • Other famous work: He’s been in shows like “High Fidelity“ and “the new Gossip Girl.”

Trailer

The Echo Valley trailer looks really intense! It sets up a gripping mystery with Julianne Moore as a mom desperately trying to protect her daughter, played by Sydney Sweeney, after something very troubling happens. The trailer hints at powerful performances from both of them and a dark, suspenseful story that makes you really curious about what’s going on.

Story

She tells her mom she accidentally killed her boyfriend. Kate, like any desperate parent, freaks out but immediately goes into protection mode. She decides, “Okay, we have to make this disappear,” and helps Claire get rid of the body in a nearby lake.

But of course, that’s not the end of it! This dangerous guy, Jackie (Domhnall Gleeson), who Claire owes money to, figures out what happened. Suddenly, he’s blackmailing Kate, and her quiet life turns into a terrifying mess.

The whole movie is basically about how far a mom will go to save her kid, even if it means doing terrible things and getting dragged into a super dangerous world. And as she tries to handle all this, she starts to realize that maybe Claire isn’t telling her the whole truth, and things are even darker than she thought.

I’m not going to share the climax to spoil the suspense! I want you to watch it yourself and enjoy the thrill.

Performance:

• Julianne Moore: People just loved her. She really makes you feel for her character, this mom who’s going through a tough time and then suddenly has to be this fierce protector. She shows so much emotion without even saying much sometimes, which is really cool. She definitely held the whole movie together.
• Sydney Sweeney: She’s super intense in this one! Audiences felt she brought a lot of raw energy to the role, making her character really unpredictable and complicated. Her scenes with Julianne Moore were thought to be super powerful and kept you glued to the screen.
• Domhnall Gleeson: He did a great job making you feel uneasy. He plays this threatening character, and he just has this quiet, chilling vibe that makes him a really commendable villain. Basically, the main actors are a big reason why people check out Echo Valley and generally feel it’s worth the watch.
• Michael Pearce (Director): He’s known for his previous film, Beast, which was pretty well-received for its intense atmosphere and strong character focus. Now the important question is, did he do justice to Echo Valley? Maybe yes, maybe not. Michael Pearce definitely helped the actors deliver stellar performances and created a strong mood for the film. However, the overall execution of the story left some viewers wishing for a tighter, more consistently gripping experience. So, while he brought out the best in his cast, opinions are a bit divided on whether he fully “did justice” to every aspect of the movie’s potential.

Expectations vs. Reality:

Expectations:

You know how sometimes you see a movie trailer or hear who’s in it, and you get a feeling for it? For Echo Valley, because the same person who wrote Mare of Easttown was involved, fans kind of thought it would be super gritty and real, with a very grounded story. And with Julianne Moore and Sydney Sweeney, fans just knew the acting would be top-notch – like, they’d really make you feel everything. Fans expected a tight, suspenseful story.

Reality:

Well, the fabulous news is, Julianne Moore and Sydney Sweeney are fantastic. They really do a great job together, and their performances are definitely a highlight. But as for the movie itself, some people felt it wasn’t quite as “grounded” as they expected. The story got a bit more… dramatic, I guess you could say, than that super realistic vibe from Mare of Easttown. And a few folks mentioned that the middle part felt a little slow at times. So, while the acting is strong, and it’s definitely an interesting watch, it might not be exactly the intense, super-realistic thriller some were bracing for. It’s still commendable, though, especially if you like seeing great actors do their thing!