In Rachel Annette Helson’s short film Good Daughter, Samantha Sloyan plays the long-suffering Sarah, whose father is in a nursing facility for his dementia. Sarah visits regularly with her father’s baseball card collection as cues to unlock his failing memory. At the end of her visit, she tells the attending nurse, “Today is one of the good days.” He responds by telling her she is a “good daughter.”
As Sarah returns to her car, she rummages through several bags of clothing bearing the names of other women and a schedule book for her next visit. We discover that Sarah is not who she claims to be, but she is running a scam in which she pretends to be the daughter of Alzheimer’s and dementia patients around town. This raises the question: What is the end game for the scam, and how long can she keep it going?
“…she pretends to be the daughter of Alzheimer’s and dementia patients around town.”
I love a good con film, and Good Daughter delivers. Samantha Sloyan is perfect as Sarah…or whoever she claims to be today. Director Helson skillfully delivers Jesse Harris’ script, which relies on a slow reveal of the con, followed by small but growing cracks that lead to an ending poignantly reflecting the issue of elder care in America.
In Good Daughter, Rachel Annette Helson has crafted a sly, emotionally complex look at the lengths to which some will go, with Samantha Sloyan delivering a performance that’s equal parts charm and unease. It’s a sharp, poignant short that lingers, raising tough questions about love, identity, and the unseen costs of elder care.
"…a performance that’s equal parts charm and unease."
