You’ve probably seen the posters or scrolled past the trailer. It looks like a high-budget survival thriller, right? Three young girls trapped in a sea cave with crashing waves and massive elephant seals. But the cast of Island of Lost Girls isn't some group of seasoned child actors from a Hollywood agency. It’s actually just three sisters. They’re the Daly girls: Autumn, Avila, and Scarlett.
Most people expect a film like this to have a massive crew, stunt doubles, and a fleet of trailers. Nope. This was basically a family project that got way out of hand—in the best way possible. Their parents, Ann-Marie and Brian Schmidt, directed and produced the whole thing. It took years to finish. When you watch the movie, you aren't seeing CGI green screens. You’re seeing real kids in real, freezing water.
Who exactly is the cast of Island of Lost Girls?
It’s a short list. This isn't an ensemble piece with a dozen supporting characters. The heavy lifting is done entirely by the three siblings.
Autumn Daly plays the eldest sister. In the movie, her character is the one trying to keep everyone’s head above water, literally and figuratively. In real life, she’s the anchor of the production. Avila Daly and Scarlett Daly round out the trio. Because they are actual sisters, the chemistry isn't "acted." It’s just their life. You can see it in the way they bicker and the way they panic when things get hairy.
The casting choice wasn't about finding the "best" child actors in LA. It was about finding kids who were comfortable in the ocean. Brian Schmidt, their father, has a background in wildlife filmmaking. He knew that to get the shots he wanted—shots of kids actually swimming through sea caves in Baja, Mexico—he couldn't hire kids who needed a lifeguard every five seconds. He needed kids who were basically part-fish.
The Elephant Seals are the "Co-Stars"
I’m not kidding. The massive Northern Elephant Seals featured in the film aren't animatronics. They are 4,000-pound wild animals. While the cast of Island of Lost Girls is technically the three sisters, the seals play the primary antagonists/obstacles.
Filming took place on the shores of Baja California. If you’ve ever been to that part of the coast, you know the Pacific isn't a swimming pool. It’s cold. It’s rough. The girls had to navigate through real colonies of these massive creatures. Of course, safety was a thing. They weren't just tossed into a mosh pit of seals. But the proximity is real. That look of genuine awe and slight terror on Scarlett’s face? That’s not a script note. That’s a kid looking at a literal sea monster a few feet away.
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Why this casting works better than a Hollywood blockbuster
Think about the last big-budget kid movie you saw. Usually, the kids are a little too polished. Their hair stays weirdly perfect. Their dialogue sounds like it was written by a 45-year-old man who hasn't talked to a child since 1998.
The cast of Island of Lost Girls feels different because they talk like real sisters. They mumble. They talk over each other. They use shorthand. Since the directors are their parents, they could leave the camera rolling for hours to capture genuine moments of frustration or exhaustion.
The film was shot over several years. This creates a bit of a Boyhood effect. You can actually see the girls aging slightly as the movie progresses. It adds a layer of grit that you just can't manufacture.
The Physicality of the Role
Let's be real for a second. Most child actors spend their time in a climate-controlled trailer eating Goldfish crackers between takes. The Daly sisters were essentially doing an endurance sport.
- Swimming: They did their own stunts in the surf.
- Climbing: The rock formations in those Mexican sea caves are sharp and slippery.
- Cold: Wetsuits only do so much when you're filming in the Pacific for hours.
They aren't just faces on a screen; they are athletes. The "making of" footage—which is honestly as interesting as the movie itself—shows the girls helping carry gear and scouting locations with their dad. It was a skeleton crew. It was basically "Family Vacation: The Movie," but with higher stakes and better cameras.
What happened to the cast after the movie?
The film made a splash on the festival circuit a few years back. It won "Best Feature" at several independent fests and eventually landed on streaming platforms like Amazon Prime and Tubi.
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But if you’re looking for their next big Marvel role, you might be waiting a while. The Daly sisters haven't chased the traditional Hollywood path. They seem more interested in the adventure side of things. Their family production company, Schmidt-House Productions, focuses on this intersection of narrative storytelling and raw, wild nature.
They’ve stayed relatively low-key. You won't find them in the tabloids. They’re probably somewhere on a boat or in a cave right now. That’s the vibe of the whole project—it’s about the experience, not the fame.
Surprising facts about the production
People often ask if the girls were scared. Honestly? Sorta. But they were also trained. Brian Schmidt didn't just wake up one day and throw his kids into a cave. They grew up in this environment.
- The movie took over three years to film.
- Much of the "script" was improvised or based on how the sisters actually interacted.
- The "Lost Girls" actually did a lot of the underwater camera work themselves or assisted with it.
It’s rare to see a film where the actors are so deeply integrated into the environment. Usually, there’s a barrier. There’s a "hot set" and a "safe zone." Here, the set was the Pacific Ocean. The safe zone was wherever the tide hadn't reached yet.
Making sense of the Island of Lost Girls "Legacy"
Is it a masterpiece of cinema? It depends on what you like. If you want a tight, three-act structure with a traditional villain, maybe not. But if you want to see something that feels "impossible"—meaning, you can't believe they actually got these shots with real kids—then it’s a must-watch.
The cast of Island of Lost Girls proved that you don't need a $50 million budget to create tension. You just need a unique location and actors who aren't afraid to get their hair wet. It’s a testament to indie filmmaking. It’s about a family that decided to do something crazy together.
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If you’re planning to watch it, pay attention to the scale. Those caves are massive. The seals are enormous. And the three girls in the middle of it all are just... sisters. That’s the magic of the whole thing. It’s grounded in a way that big-budget movies never are.
What to do if you're a fan
If you've watched the film and want to see more, check out the behind-the-scenes documentaries. They show how they rigged the cameras and how they handled the seals. It’s a masterclass in "guerilla" filmmaking.
- Look for the "Making Of" clips: Usually found on the directors' social media or official website.
- Watch for the seals: Research Northern Elephant Seals. They are fascinating, grumpy, and surprisingly fast.
- Support Indie Film: If you liked the movie, tell someone. Word of mouth is the only reason a movie with a cast of three unknown sisters gets any traction at all.
You won't find another movie quite like this. It’s a weird, beautiful, slightly terrifying slice of independent cinema that works because the cast is exactly who they say they are. No acting required—just a lot of bravery and a very good wetsuit.
When you sit down to watch, remember that every splash and every shiver is real. That’s the beauty of the Daly sisters. They weren't just playing "lost girls." For a few weeks in Baja, they actually were. It’s authentic in a way that feels increasingly rare. Enjoy the ride, and maybe stay out of the sea caves for a bit.
To truly appreciate the work of the cast of Island of Lost Girls, your next step is to watch the film with the "director's commentary" or "behind-the-scenes" features enabled. Seeing the logistics of how the Daly family managed to film in active sea caves with wild elephant seals adds a massive layer of respect for the physical performance of these three sisters. Once you see the "how," the "what" becomes even more impressive. Check your favorite streaming platform to see if the bonus features are included in your region.