Apple TV
Sydney Sweeney has spent the past several years pushing to show audiences a more layered side of her acting, and the moody thriller “Echo Valley” is one of the stronger examples of that effort. The film, which pairs her with Julianne Moore, has also found a sizable audience on Apple TV, ranking at No. 1 on the streamer’s top 10 list as of June 17.
Written by “Mare of Easttown” creator Brad Ingelsby, “Echo Valley” centers on Kate Garrett (Moore), a horse trainer reeling from the sudden death of her wife, Patty. Her grief is compounded by the turmoil surrounding her daughter, Claire (Sweeney), whose drug addiction has left Kate emotionally exhausted and financially strained. Claire’s father, Richard — played by “Twin Peaks” star Kyle MacLachlan — has reached his limit, cutting her off and refusing to keep funding either her habit or further attempts at recovery.
The story takes a darker turn when Claire arrives at Kate’s farm without warning, distraught and covered in blood. Her return brings danger with it, but Kate cannot bring herself to turn her daughter away. As the pressure intensifies and the consequences grow increasingly grim, their already fragile bond is tested in devastating ways.
If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA’s National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
Sydney Sweeney and Julianne Moore had a great time working together
Apple TV
Despite the film’s heavy subject matter, Moore and Sweeney have made it clear that the experience of working together was a positive one.
“I was thrilled to do [the movie] with Sydney, I really was,” Moore said during a joint “Good Morning America” interview. “She was somebody whom I’d seen in ‘The White Lotus’ actually at first and I thought, ‘Wow, she’s fantastic.'” The praise is notable given Sweeney’s widely discussed approach to shaping her “The White Lotus” character, and Moore has continued to speak highly of Sweeney’s talent and professionalism in other interviews as well.
For Sweeney, sharing the screen with Moore was especially meaningful, even if the dynamic between their characters made it emotionally difficult. “I felt so bad because it’s always been my dream to work with her, and then of course I play a character who is just so cruel and heartless,” she told The Associated Press. “And it was killing me, because Julianne’s one of the kindest human beings I’ve ever met in my entire life.” Sweeney also said she hopes to reunite with Moore someday in a project where their characters are not locked in conflict. Viewers can see their tense on-screen pairing for themselves in “Echo Valley” on Apple TV.
