The Lost Daughter, a look at parenthood

With her virtuoso screenwriting and directorial debut The Lost Daughter, Maggie Gyllenhaal proves herself to be a major new auteur who tackles life's thorniest issues with pinpoint mastery.

Olivia Colman stars in this unflinching neo-noir in the role of a college professor whose summer stay on the coast takes a sinister turn. Flashes of her troubled past emerge through impressive flashback work.

Gyllenhaal performs a chilling dissection of the pleasures/treatments of motherhood through his lens, hitting complex notes of discomfort that few would dare to tackle. Jessie Buckley shines as the young Colman in a supporting role destined to launch her even higher.

Steeped in atmosphere, with an unnerving tone and an artistry that exudes from every nerve-wracking frame, The Lost Daughter digs deep beneath the perfect surface of parenthood through thrilling psychological subterfuge.

Maggie Gyllenhaal was awarded Best Director at major film festivals, including Venice.

Olivia Colman received a Golden Globe nomination for her haunting lead performance, as did Jessie Buckley for supporting actress. Though unfairly ignored by the Oscars, her biting work will live on.

Netflix distributed the film internationally, where it found support from art-house audiences. In theaters in some cities it earned $1.3 million.