(Credit: Netflix)

If you are scrolling through Netflix wondering what to watch tonight, stop.

Forget the action flicks and the comfort rom-coms. The only movie you actually need to press play on is The Lost Daughter. And it won’t be an exaggeration when we say that this one will mess with your head… only in the best way possible.

So here is the setup, alright: Olivia Colman plays a woman named Leda who is on a solo trip to a sunny Greek island. At first, it feels like a vacation fantasy. Imagine a secluded, clean beach with the perfect amount of sunlight. That’s exactly where Leda is reading. She is swimming, eating fruit, and living the quiet life we all dream about when our phones won’t stop buzzing.

But then, she crosses paths with this big, loud family on the beach. This is one of those messy, dramatic families with people from every age group. The film takes a turn when one small connection with this family triggers something in Leda, and suddenly her perfect holiday starts to feel… well… not so perfect.

Now, we know you are not expecting car chases or action sequences. This isn’t that kind of thriller. The tension here is all in the mind. The best part of the film is Olivia Colman, who does not need to say much. Half the time, it’s just her face doing the acting, and somehow, you can feel the weight of her past pressing in.

Jessie Buckley plays young Leda in flashbacks, and honestly, she is just as intense. Together, they build this portrait of a woman who loves her kids but also feels trapped by them. And that’s what makes The Lost Daughter so gripping. It is honest and raw, and it kind of makes you uncomfortable.

Another central character in the film is Nina, played by Dakota Johnson. She is part of the family Leda interacts with, and it’s Nina’s daughter whom Leda is drawn towards. This girl plays with a doll, and Leda seems to have some fascination with it.

And can we talk about the doll? Leda steals it, and suddenly this innocent object becomes the creepiest thing in the movie. That’s the genius of Maggie Gyllenhaal’s direction. She knows how to take something ordinary and make it feel loaded, almost sinister.

Also, the setting is a whole mood. A Greek island should be paradise, right? Bright sun, turquoise sea, olives and wine. But somehow, it feels suffocating here. The sunshine is too harsh, the waves too still. It is like being in paradise with a knot in your stomach, and the best part is that’s exactly the vibe of the film.

Another great thing about this Netflix movie is that it doesn’t try to sugarcoat anything. It is about motherhood, guilt, selfishness, and the parts of ourselves we don’t want to admit to. And it asks questions most films avoid. Can you be a good mother if you sometimes resent being one? What happens when you put yourself first? It’s not neat or easy, but that’s why it hits so hard.

So why should you watch this Netflix gem? Because The Lost Daughter is the kind of movie that doesn’t just pass the time. It lingers. It makes you think about choices, about the lives women live behind the polite smiles, and about how complicated love can be. Plus, Olivia Colman is just magnetic. You’ll find yourself glued to her, even in the quietest scenes.