How To Daughter

Directed by Sam Grierson

2026

So Crocodile

After the excellent sci-fi The Programme and horror satire The Pause, Midlands director Sam Grierson returns to the local indie movie scene by dipping a toe into another film genre with emotional drama How To Daughter.

Georgie Glen (Call the Midwife) plays Anne, an ageing and ill mother who is bed-ridden in hospital, when her daughter Sarah (Louise Osbourne) comes to visit on the ward.

Off the bat, their conflicted relationship is brought to the forefront as Anne immediately accuses her daughter of being late, before we find out she’s receiving medical help owing to a recent fall. As their frosty encounter continues, we are led to believe a young girl arrives, who gives a blunter rebuttal to various family accusations.

However, as the film jumps straight into the trio’s thorny conversations, which hint upon many past grievances, we get the arrival of a 1940/50s-dressed version of Anne (River Davies Upright) – a figment of her former self. This leads us to conclude the young girl is in fact Sarah as a teenager (played by Bethany Milner), grappling with a mother who she still feels holds bitterness towards her.

The elderly lady’s harsh criticisms of her offspring contrast against her warm recollections of her husband. And as the two “alternative” versions of themselves share honest and hard to say recollections, it feels very much like these thoughts have been on their private minds for some time.

Anne's mind wanders and drifts as her daughter corrects her on what seems to be some confused and misremembered memories. And we find grievances arise as neither thought they gave enough attention to each other. Plus, a sometimes-absent father torn between the two adds another dimension to an already complicated scenario.

Director Sam Grierson has pulled off a fantastic chamber-piece in How To Daughter. The 2 absorbing leads are supported by 2 terrific support roles where resentment, understanding and reconciliation are explored through esoteric dialogue.

The tight script holds the entire runtime which keeps focus on the issues at play. But for me, the one-room location could have done with a couple of more cinematic touches. A flourish of different angles, some close-ups to capture reactions, and perhaps some cuts into corridors may have added some visual variety, as well as give the audience some breathing room to reflect as the issues build.

However, I understand what’s being spoken is clearly the focus here and the spiky conversations do provide us with multiple perspectives, which helps give balance to all these bygone events. This allows the film to explore competing viewpoints. Whilst further empathy develops when context is given to the fallout of a domestic abuse revelation.

Overall, How To Daughter is an intelligent short that uses a unique and dynamic on-screen structure to portray what is often left unsaid within families. And a skilled cast help provide the subtlety and nuance that's needed to examine these difficulties. With its engaging and layered script exploring the outcomes of tough decisions in the past, it ends as an engrossing short that doesn’t shy away from probing the knotty ties of mother-daughter relationships.

★★★★

4 / 5

Michael Sales

Instagram / Facebook / X @midlandsmovies