The New Daughter
John James is a writer; his wife has left him. He moves with his two middle-school children to an isolated house off a dirt road in South Carolina. The property has an Indian burial mound, which fascinates his daughter, Louisa, who's entering puberty.
Why it matters
A moody, atmospheric slow-burn rooted in Southern Gothic and supernatural folklore, The New Daughter taps into primal fears of adolescence and possession with a creeping dread.
- Louisa’s puberty-linked transformation channels body horror through a folkloric lens rarely seen in suburban-set supernatural tales.
- The isolated South Carolina setting and Indian burial mound evoke a sense of ancient menace intruding on modern life.
- Kevin Costner’s restrained, flawed portrayal of a struggling single dad adds emotional weight amid the eerie ambiance.
- Creature effects and scares lean low-budget, offering more unsettling suggestion than gore or spectacle—fans of subtle dread will find something here.
Director
2 horror films in catalog
Cast
Horror DNA
Gore
14
Slow Burn
66
Psychological
57
Supernatural
40
Creature
36
Disturbing
50
Fun Factor
33
Cerebral
14
Survival
50
