Prisoner's Daughter

It hits these melodramatic beats that seem at odds with Catherine Hardwicke's naturalistic style.

If there’s one reason to see Prisoner’s Daughter, it’s Kate Beckinsale.

Catherine Hardwicke’s sharply drawn, slow-simmer domestic drama Prisoner’s Daughter has the cool vibe of an indie film from a generation ago, from the lived-in look of the Vegas sets to the authentic performances of the terrific cast.

Here’s a terrible TV-movie-style piece of work with some awful acting and a deeply questionable, crass finale; it’s all the more wince-inducing given the lineup of alpha talent behind it.

Catherine Hardwicke... navigates the father-daughter drama with restraint, ferreting out warmth alongside resentment. Cox’s stripped-down performance is affecting as he unpeels the humanity in a man who’s relied on his fists for way too long.

A Prisoner's Daughter gets a necessary emotional lift from its strong lead performances, the blandly by-the-numbers redemptive family drama falls short of representing a return to early form for the Thirteen director.

A family drama that lacks a fundamental understanding of drama.

It might be tempting for other actors of Beckinsale's stature to phone in a performance here, due to the lower profile of this film, but her character prep-work is tangible. Some of her finest work ever.

A clunky dysfunctional family drama that should have been left in the can.

Prisoner’s Daughter is another let-down from filmmaker Catherine Hardwicke that is watchable at its best and embarrassing at its worst. It is a shame we know she can do so much better with stronger material.