Sartaj Singh
Directed by Neil Burger, ‘The Marsh King’s Daughter’ introduces us to Helena, a woman who comes face to face with her dark past when her father escapes prison to reunite with her. Helena was brought up in the wilderness by her father, the Marsh King, and her kidnapped mother. After she escapes, Helena manages to begin life anew and starts a family. When news of the Marsh King’s escape reaches her, Helena knows that his forest survival skills ensure that the police will never find him in the deep thicket of the Upper Peninsula. Thus, she sets out to confront the man with the very set of skills he has taught her.
‘The Marsh King’s Daughter’ is a 2023 thriller film with an air of mystery and survival created by its slowly unfurling backstory and an enigmatic forest setting. For those who liked aspects of the film, here are some compelling movies like ‘The Marsh King’s Daughter’ that offer a gripping experience.
8. The Hunted (2003)
Under the direction of William Friedkin, ‘The Hunted’ revolves around a tense game of jungle survival between tracker L.T. Bonham and former pupil Aaron Hallam. Bonham is a skilled tracker who is brought out of retirement to capture Hallam, a trained assassin who has begun hunting anyone who enters Oregon’s Silver Falls State Park after undergoing severe trauma during military service. As Bonham heads into the wilderness to apprehend Hallam, a complex game of survival and psychological warfare ensues, revealing dark secrets from their shared past.
The film’s gritty atmosphere and intense action sequences will likely appeal to enjoyers of similar scenes in ‘The Marsh King’s Daughter.’ Both movies detail a suspenseful game of cat and mouse in the wilderness, with one of them having taught the other.
7. Alone (2020)
With John Hyams at the helm, ‘Alone’ follows the chilling tale of a lone traveling woman being abducted by a psychopath, and finding herself being hunted by him as she flees into a sprawling forested landscape. Jessica is a recently widowed woman who finds herself being stalked by an unsettling, bespectacled man as she travels across lonely stretches of highway. With complications arising in the car, Jessica is captured by the predator, who reveals that he kills women like her for sport.
Slipping through his fingers, Jessica rushes into the expansive wilderness beyond his isolated cabin and becomes involved in a desperate fight for survival. A remake of the 2011 Swedish film ‘Gone,’ ‘Alone’ will likely engage fans of ‘The Marsh King’s Daughter’ with its psychological thrills of being involved in a primal hunter versus hunted situation within a natural landscape.
6. The Edge (1997)
Directed by Lee Tamahori, ‘The Edge’ is a survival thriller involving a complex interpersonal relationship between two distrustful men who have to work together to traverse the Alaskan wilderness while being stalked by a ravenous bear. Robert Green (Alec Baldwin), a fashion photographer, and Charles Morse (Anthony Hopkins), a billionaire, are stranded in the Alaskan forests after a plane crash. The two are paranoid of each other’s intentions, as Charles had earlier caught Robert flirting with his wife and suspects a plot against him.
As if their situation wasn’t bad enough, a Kodiak bear catches their scent, and the ill-equipped survivors must work together to stay alive. Enthusiasts of thrillers like ‘The Marsh King’s Daughter’ will undoubtedly enjoy the volatile dynamic between the hostile men pushed to the brink, while nature itself emerges as a very real threat and forces an uneasy alliance.
5. The Silencing (2020)
In the directorial hands of Robin Pront, ‘The Silencing’ transports us to a wildlife sanctuary veiled in mist, watched over by a former hunter who notices a young woman being hunted across it by a masked stalker. Rayburn (Nikolaj Coster) is an alcoholic who grieves the mysterious disappearance of his daughter and maintains a stretch of forest land in her memory. His cameras on the territory pick up a figure in a ghillie-suited assailant engaging in a sick hunting game, and Rayburn rushes over to save her. Those who liked the primeval thrill of a fight for survival in ‘The Marsh King’s Daughter’ will likely be enthralled by the reformed hunter facing off against the masterfully camouflaged killer using an unconventional weapon.
4. The Call (2013)
‘The Call’ is a heart-pounding thriller directed by Brad Anderson and follows a troubled 911 operator as she does everything in her power to save a young girl from a sadistic kidnapper. Jordan Turner answers emergency calls, faces regrets, and is haunted by a past mistake. When she responds to a distress call from a kidnapped teenage girl named Casey, Jordan finds herself in a race against time to save her from the same assailant who murdered one of her callers. ‘The Call’ is an exceedingly well-executed thriller, and will keep fans of ‘The Marsh King’s Daughter’ in nail-biting suspense with its unfolding narrative. The protagonists in both films must face a monstrous psychopath from their past, and prevent him from taking any more lives.
3. Leave No Trace (2018)
For fans of ‘The Marsh King’s Daughter,’ ‘Leave No Trace’ will be a film that explores how Helena’s childhood may have looked if her father had been a compassionate but troubled man instead of a borderline psychotic. Under the direction of Debra Granik, the film narrates a poignant tale of a father raising his daughter in the wilderness, and their struggles as he is forced to integrate back into civilization. The story explores a complex yet heartwarming relationship between the two, as the daughter begins to form her own identity and beliefs while also respecting and understanding why her parent behaves the way he does.
2. Wind River (2017)
A Taylor Sheridan directorial, ‘Wind River’ unfolds in the unforgiving wilderness of Wyoming, where a young Native American woman’s frozen body is discovered by wildlife officer Cory Lambert (Jeremy Renner). As he investigates her death, he is joined by FBI agent Jane Banner, unearthing a harrowing trail of violence and injustice. A past tragedy haunts Lambert, and his stoic disposition perfectly complements Jane’s inexperienced but driven approach to the case. Similar to ‘The Marsh King’s Daughter,’ ‘Wind River’ transports us to an unforgiving stretch of wilderness where the law holds little sway, and survival depends on one’s own abilities. Both films have themes of redemption, mystery, and facing adversity in brutal environments.
1. Winter’s Bone (2010)
Helmed by Debra Granik, ‘Winter’s Bone’ chronicles a resilient teenage girl’s search for her missing father as she works to prevent his criminal ways from destroying the lives of her siblings and disabled mother. With her family’s home at risk of foreclosure, Ree Dolly must track down her father, who has disappeared after putting up their house as bail. With the help of her uncle Teardrop, she navigates the impoverished and treacherous Ozarks and faces the dark underbelly of her community.
Based on Daniel Woodrell’s novel of the same name, the film is elevated by its authentic, untamed setting and Jennifer Lawrence’s stellar performance as Ree. Similar to Helena in ‘The Marsh King’s Daughter,’ Ree takes responsibility for her family and her father’s actions, going on a perilous journey to find him. ‘Winter’s Bone’ draws us into its seemingly hostile environment, which operates on its own rules and codes, and we can’t help but root for the brave Ree as she finds her way through it and goes beyond the call of duty.
Read More: The Marsh King’s Daughter’s is Inspired by the Author’s Own Experiences
