Good One
Directed by India Donaldson6.798%74%
Chris and his daughter Sam, hike with Chris' friend, Matt. The film builds suspense. The climax is one with which women are all too familiar. Sam tells her father, and his reaction does not satisfy her. Her subsequent actions are a clear communication with both Chris and Matt. Her father finally hears her, and puts her in the driving seat. Recommended as a rare filmic depiction of an everyday occurrence.
Cast of Good One
Good One Ratings & Reviews
- jwpi06h agoThe silences and expressions convey as much as the narrative and conversations. There are a few key moments when the silence hangs, reality breaks through and I think to myself, did he just say what I'm pretty sure he said, and in THAT context? You can hear a pin drop as the full weight of the coming of age lands squarely in Sam's lap. Her perception of the world is challanged and later towards the end it is clearly cemented, right to her core. A perception of men, whether she likes it or not, has been embedded in her and will instruct her, also whether she likes it or not, for the rest of her life. A highly relevant film for our time. Those who have rated less than a 7, or even less than an 8, have misunderstood this film. One criticism I have is that the only men in the film are her father and uncle, and the 3 duffusses that camp next to them and with whom they have some - thank goodness - limited interaction. The father and uncles flaws are revealed and the 3 dufussess are, well, they are dufussess. So they are no "good" men depicted, which is a shame. So Sam's father gives her her perception of men, and the men she'll metaphorically have to choose from are tweedle dum, tweedle dee and tweedle even dumber. But this is not true of real life. There are good men out there. However, the counterpoint to that - to my own criticism - is that the very perception handed to her by the father and uncle may well pre-dispose her to seek out the exact men who confirm that perception exactly. And THIS is - unfortunately - very true to life. This film has prompted me to question my own perceptions, those shtty shtty perceptions so freely given to me.
- Kevin WardJuly 2, 2025Understated drama featuring a breakout performance from Lilly Collias as Sam, 17 y/o on backpacking trip with her dad Chris and his best friend Matt. [full review] What starts off seemingly like a friend and family traditional escape into nature slowly erodes into the feeling like a uncomfortable prison for Sam. Director India Donaldson does an excellent job of slowly stripping away at Sam’s comfort. Matt mentions his disappointment that his son isn’t coming, making Sam the only young adult on a trip with two grown men. She’s relegated to the floor of their tiny motel room. At the diner, the men both order beers. These small “offenses” start to build on each other pushing Sam more and more out of her comfort zone until she eventually hits a breaking point. Loved how this all unfolded. Totally engrossed. Impressed by both Donaldson and Collias. I will be keeping an eye out for their future projects.
- rg9400November 1, 2024This movie is very subdued, long lingering shots of character faces and nature, minimal cinematography, mainly only dialogue with minimalistic plot. The movie only works because of Lily Collias who is excellent and able to communicate effectively with her facial expressions. The two male actors are good as well, but she's the driving force behind the movie. Initially, I wanted to write this movie off for being a bunch of nothingness that felt overly boring. However, I do think the movie was able to achieve peeling back the layers of some of these character dynamics, really highlighting the way Lily Collias' Sam is treated by the two men, and the unspoken frustration she carries throughout this trip as it builds up. In that sense, I do think the movie has something to say that it is able to successfully convey, again largely due to the acting. Unfortunately, it still feels hard to watch because there isn't often a lot of engaging content on screen, and I feel like the same themes could have been packaged in a sleeker style or more compelling plot.
