The Lost Daughter

Leda Caruso, a middle-aged literature professor, takes a solo working holiday by the sea. Her quiet routine is disturbed by a large, close-knit family that arrives at the resort, in particular by a young mother and her small daughter whose relationship Leda watches with growing fixation. Encounters with the other guests, including a hotel worker and a fellow vacationer, draw her further into the family's orbit, and the intensity of what she observes brings back her own experience of early motherhood and the choices she made then. An impulsive act sets off tensions with the family and pushes Leda to reckon with her past. The film is based on Elena Ferrante's novel.

The Lost Daughter, released in 2021, is Maggie Gyllenhaal's writing and directing debut, and she also produced it alongside Talia Kleinhendler and Osnat Handelsman-Keren. Olivia Colman plays Leda, with Jessie Buckley as the younger Leda in flashbacks. Dakota Johnson, Ed Harris, Paul Mescal and Peter Sarsgaard appear in supporting roles. The production, a British, Greek, Israeli and American co-production, was made for about 5 million dollars.

On IMDb the film holds 6.7 out of 10 from around 81,000 votes, and on TMDB 6.4 out of 10 from roughly 1,200 votes, while its critics' rating stands at 7.8 out of 10 from 237 reviews, a markedly warmer response than that of general audiences. Gyllenhaal went on to direct The Bride! and Flesh Impact, both in 2026.