Following up the amazing two parter that was the souvenir was a tough job. Those films so beautifully depicted a love for filmmaking and the struggle and inner turmoil of a young person learning the craft. Where do you go from such a meta, film-oriented story? Take it back to the fantasy world.

I give you Joanna Hogg’s first ghost story (sort of).

The Eternal Daughter has a very small cast, of which the two biggest roles are taken (and killed) by the legendary Tilda Swinton who unsurprisingly doesn’t miss. She plays as both a mother and a daughter, even once appearing in the same frame as both. The other stand out performance was by Tilda Swinton’s own dog Louie, who brought some very wholesome moments into the mix.

I don’t really want to give any plot points away because I feel that this is absolutely best experienced blind. So skipping any plot and theme chat, let’s talk about the filmmaking.

Surprise surprise, who would have thought it, Hogg came through with another beautiful grainy picture. This appears to have been produced with mostly on screen and natural lighting which creates a muted, somewhat gloomy look to the whole film. Hogg uses shadows and mirrors regularly throughout the run time, each masterfully bringing intrigue into the otherwise fairly dull environment. This is a film studies student’s dream. A myriad of themes explored contemplatively through subtle and attractive storytelling.

Lastly it was actually a bit of a giggle. Surprisingly so. I was not expecting to laugh as many times as I did over the run time. Definitely recommend, especially for the film students and film makers out there.

Joanna Hogg strikes again.

4 STARS (LONDON FILM FESTIVAL)