Reviewers frequently highlight the film's creature design and puppet-based horror as its strongest visual elements, noting the unique, unsettling appearance of the ghoulish figures.
The story centers on (Violet McGraw), an eight-year-old girl caught in a bitter custody battle between her mother, Maggie (Mamie Gummer), a successful lawyer, and her father, Jeff (Rupert Friend), a struggling graphic artist. Jeff’s professional failures and perceived irresponsibility are the primary drivers of the family's "separation". noting the unique
Movie Review: “SEPARATION” and the wrong kind of anxiety Maggie (Mamie Gummer)