An excerpt from Reals’ script review for The Lost Daughter which will be available 01/16/22:
What Worked
The Setup – As Hank discussed in his review for House of Mourning, small moments included in your thriller / horror script buildup are what set great scripts apart. Just little moments of unease, to hint that something is not right so that the horror has time to build.
Here we get lots of little moments, like Leda constantly spacing out, Will, the creepy lifeguard, the bugs in Leda’s room, or the lighthouse that constantly shines a light in Leda’s room, making it hard for her to rest.
Little moments like these help build an unsettling atmosphere in your script and are worth paying attention to.
The Visuals – This is a bit of an add-on to the Setup Note, however, I did like the visual of Leda trying to eat something from the beautiful fruit bowl in her room… but it turns out that all of the fruit is rotted inside.
It’s a nice thematic visual as well, as something that looks perfect on the outside may, in fact, be bruised and hollow on the inside.
The Doll – I really liked this moment, after Leda finds a missing Elena, but not the young girl’s beloved doll. The girl is upset and cries all day. However, when Leda returns to her car in the evening, lo and behold, Elena’s doll was in her purse the entire time.
Moments like this are great – we know something is not quite right with Leda and the whole situation, but when we get moments like this we are more curious than ever what exactly is going on.
Nina’s Last Line to Leda –
(SPOILERS)
I did like Nina’s last line to Leda:
NINA
(suddenly hissing, furious)
You are a fucking sick cunt. You better watch your back bitch.
It was pretty much how I felt about Leda’s despicable character. Now, Nina is not much better, but at least she has something akin to a moral compass, no matter how small or deformed.
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