Cirrus@Austlit

'A handful of storylines recur in the family drama genre. The premise of an individual returning home, with a secret that threatens to disrupt the equilibrium of a family unit, after a period of self-imposed exile in order to fulfil filial obligations is well established, if not always predictable. From the famous final sequence of Roman Polanski's Chinatown (1974) to Mike Leigh's Secrets & Lies (1996), dramas around dubious parentage are similarly common. Yet, despite the predictability of its plot, Simon Stone's The Daughter is a sensitive and welcome addition to this genre.'  (Introduction)