Prisoner’s Daughter is a gritty, turbulent drama that follows Max (Brian Cox, Succession) who has been diagnosed with terminal cancer and granted a compassionate release after 12 years in prison with the condition he resides with his estranged daughter, Maxine (Kate Beckinsale, Underworld).
As a single mom desperate for income to raise her only son, Ezra (Christopher Convery), she reluctantly agrees but has no interest in reconciliation or allowing Max to have a relationship with her son.
To make matters worse, Maxine also has to contend with Ezra’s father, Tyler (Tyson Ritter), an abusive addict who wants more control of his son's life. As Max seeks one last chance to redeem himself in her eyes, they must contend with his dark, violent past as it comes back to haunt them all.
This movie is an absolute must-watch and ahead of its release in theaters this Friday, we sat down for a conversation with filmmaker Catherine Hardwicke (Twilight). In this interview, the director talks us through putting together this incredible cast, creating a charming family dynamic in the midst of brutal violence, and exploring a new side of Las Vegas by avoiding the typical Hollywood stereotypes.
Catherine also reveals whether she would consider helming a superhero movie and opens up on how long characters like the ones in Prisoner's Daughter stick with her after production has wrapped.
You can watch the full interview in the player below.
This is a film with so many layers but I’m curious what, when you first read the screenplay, made it a story you wanted to tell as a filmmaker?
I was just thinking so much about when a person looks back at their life and has regret or moments they could have done something different. Brian Cox’s character is trying to figure out a way to reconnect and made amends and change, from his perception, that cycle of violence. He wants to show his daughter he’s grown as a man. That was really interesting to see. Of course, the daughter, played awesomely by Kate Beckinsale, is so wounded and has her guard up so much because she’s been disappointed so often. Can these two ever feel good about their relationship? Can she ever let him back in and trust him? Then, there was the idea of multi-generational violence. When is violence needed, not needed, or called for? How can she break that cycle? All those layers were so fascinating.
Brian Cox is such a great actor and always wonderfully outspoken when you see him in interviews, but what was your dynamic with him on set like as he takes on this role as Max?
It was so interesting. Brian, of course, in person is a consummate actor. He’s played so many iconic roles. It felt like, from the beginning, he got this character. He told me he felt him, his regrets, and all the things he’d been through. He said, ‘I know this character and I know what I want to do with it.’ I’m like, ‘Well, that’s pretty exciting.’ [Laughs] We did talk about the different things in his life, but I think Brian had a great gut instinct from the beginning about what he wanted to do. He and Kate and he and Christopher play off beautifully together.
Kate Beckinsale is someone many of our readers will know best for her action roles, so when it came to casting her as Maxine, what about Kate was it that made her the right person to play this mother and daughter?
She’s so good. I had seen her in that beautiful small movie, Farming. She just completely transformed herself into somebody that was not the glamorous action star. I thought, ‘Wow, Kate really can go very, very deep. We don’t see her do that very often.’ I thought it would be fascinating to see her dive into this person where the glamour has passed her by in a way. She had her almost famous moment dancing in Vegas but got pregnant and had the kid and no role models, that’s for sure. Now, she’s suddenly this single mom just struggling on the other side of the suburbs on the outskirts of Vegas.
The bond between Max, Maxine, and Ezra is really the heart of this story, so what was your role in helping Kate, Brian, and Christopher find that very believable dynamic on set?
It’s kind of cool because each of them…every time I would watch them when they weren’t shooting, I could see them having fun together. They each have their creativity and are funny and joking around. Even on our first days in the hair and makeup tests or rehearsals and wardrobe fittings, you could see the sparks flying and the curiosity about each other. Christopher…those are pretty daunting people for a 12-year-old to suddenly be acting alongside. There’s Brian Cox and he’s doing a lot of scenes with him. Kate too. He was absolutely fearless actually and didn’t freak out about it at all. He also felt that character.
On the one hand, there’s something really quite sweet seeing this family come back together, but there are also some really shocking moments of violence too such as what we see in the backyard. What was it like for you to explore that contrast?
The script is about how you can break this cycle of violence and Kate’s character was raised with it. Then, she married into it again and is trying to protect her son from it while he is experiencing violence at school too. The actual day at the swimming pool was a really important day for me. I wanted that to be fun because there is not too much lightness or too many scenes where this family has that moment of beautiful connection. First, we were going to film it in the reservoir or lake near there and that was all dried up. It was 115 degrees and I was like, ‘They will not be able to have fun here!’ [Laughs] That’s the one where you start to see the dead bodies pop out of the water.
I realised we better just make it at a fun swimming pool or something where we can enjoy that moment and be silly for a few seconds. Brian, you see his silly side come out, which was so cool. Then you have the birthday party which should have been another fun, positive occasion and the kid, in a very hopeful way, invites his father, unfortunately. And the father just cannot handle it. Nobody could contain themselves. That was a very shocking moment too. Tyson Ritter is the most lovely person and I worked with him on another movie. I just think of him as all sunshine and creativity and brightness and fun. So, I said, ‘Are you going to be able to find that side of you that’s going to lash out and be uncontrollable with trigger points?’ He said, ‘Yeah, I think I can!’ [Laughs] All those combinations really worked in a very explosive way.
I think we’ve all seen Brian’s explosive side in Succession, but it was so interesting to see him get physical the way he does here; was he really up for the challenge of those scenes?
Exactly what you just said is why I found it so interesting. In Succession, it’s all verbal. He doesn’t throw any punches. Verbal punches, maybe. In this one, he goes, ‘Oh hell yeah, I’m doing it! I don’t need a stunt double, I’m going to do it all!’ I said, ‘Well, I might have a double there just in case you’re getting beat up,’ and he’s responding, ‘I don’t need it, Catherine, I’ve got this!’ [Laughs] He was tough. Even that day was 110 degrees and he just got out there and fought. That man is unbelievable.
As someone from the UK, it was a little jarring to see this very different side of Vegas from what’s usually portrayed in film; what made this the right setting for the story you’re telling here would you say?
I think it was great because you see these people had their dreams. It’s the almost famous backside of Vegas. Kate’s character had wanted to be a dancer; she’d been up on the stage, but that time passed when she had her kid and as a single mom, she aged out of that. She’s clinging to it and still looks amazing in the movie, but she’s not there. She’s on the backside. Also, Brian Cox’s character was reaching for fame as a boxer and not quite making it. Even at the boxing gym, Ernie Hudson, who is so awesome, when you drive up there, you see the back of a billboard. It’s in reach. They have to drive past the strip to get to school. To get a lot of places in Vegas, you drive down the strip, so you’re passing all this glamour, but only driving past.
Talking of superheroes, is that genre one that’s at all interesting to you as a director?
Oh yeah, it is exciting to me. In [Robert Pattinson's] Batman, it’s very layered and so interesting. Of course, the ones that have the most deep character issues interest me the most. Oh my God, obviously what the Metaverse and those kinds of powers are representing…it’s great! It’s exciting.
I’m not going to get into spoilers, but the way this movie ends is going to stick with me for a long time - do you find yourself thinking a lot about what became of these characters after working on the movie or is it quite easy to move on from them when you embark on a new project?
It did go deep. You do feel like, ‘Where is that boy going to end up?’ I’m so curious, I want to know how the son is going to keep going. I want to know what’s going to happen to every character. I’m really fascinated. What’s going to happen to the husband? How is Kate’s character going to evolve and blossom now? It’s fascinating. As director, we end up in the editing room for quite a while [Laughs] so we do get to spend a little more time with them!
Prisoner's Daughter arrives in theaters on June 30.