Good One marks the feature debut of writer/director India Donaldson. The minimalist drama took the festival circuit by storm with glowing reviews from Sundance and Cannes, and won accolades for Best Independent Feature in Boston and the Champs-Élysées Film Festival earlier this year. Shot in a cinéma vérité style, Good One follows a queer teenage girl on a weekend camping trip with her father and his struggling best friend. Star Lily Collias is a revelation here, mastering the character’s sad disappointment in this very quiet narrative that will test the patience of any viewers who aren’t already well-acquainted with arthouse or slow cinema.
A Teen Becomes the Sad Third Wheel on a Weird Hiking Trip
3.5/5
17-year-old Sam embarks on a three-day backpacking trip in the Catskills with her dad, Chris and his oldest friend, Matt. As the two men quickly settle into a gently quarrelsome brotherly dynamic, airing long-held grievances, Sam, wise beyond her years, attempts to mediate. But when lines are crossed and Sam’s trust is betrayed, tensions reach a fever pitch.
Release Date August 9, 2024
Director India Donaldson
Cast Lily Collias , Sumaya Bouhbal , James Le Gros , Danny McCarthy
Runtime 1h 30m
Writers India Donaldson
Studio(s) International Pigeon Production , Smudge Films , Tinygiant
Distributor(s) Metrograph Pictures
Pros
- Lily Collias is astounding in her first lead performance. Expect big things.
- Subtle and thoughtful themes about disappointment and the different worlds of men and women.
Cons
- It’s an extremely slow movie that will disappoint anyone expecting drama or detailed narratives.
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In New York City, 17-year-old Sam (Collias) hangs out with Jessie (Sumaya Bouhbal) in her bedroom while preparing for a hiking trip. The film establishes their level of intimacy when Sam changes her tampon in the bathroom as they talk. Meanwhile, her father Chris (James Le Gros) argues with Sam’s stepmother while their young son runs around the duplex apartment. Chris, an experienced hiker who’s taken Sam with him since she was a child, has a very specific order for arranging his supplies.
Chris’ friend Matt (Danny McCarthy) and Matt’s teenage son were supposed to accompany them on the trip, but when they arrive at his brownstone, they see Matt arguing on the steps with his son. Matt throws his backpack in the car with a huff. He’ll be going on the trip alone. This unnerves Sam, who thought someone else her age would be coming. Even worse, the recently divorced Matt complains bitterly about his life and how everything he’d worked hard for has fallen apart. Chris listens to his complaints, and Sam begins to feel further ignored when Chris and Matt make her sleep on the hotel floor before the long hike begins.
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An Exercise in Subtlety and a Study of Disappointment
Good One baits you with perceived rising tension. Matt speaks about his depression out loud in a desperate attempt for some kind of solace. He’s completely unprepared for such a difficult hike. Chris wants to empathize with Matt, but also doesn’t want him lagging behind and struggling. The film is primarily told from Sam’s observant perspective. Donaldson uses her as a cool, collected, and initially calm sounding board for the older men. You’re led to believe that something explosive is developing as the group winds their way through the woods. Nothing really does, and that might be a big letdown for some viewers.
Good One is an exercise in subtlety. The plot just ambles along. Donaldson employs slice of life realism to frame her characters. They’re ordinary people taking a weekend off and discussing issues throughout. The conflict that ensues — and that term should be used lightly — occurs like a feather floating in the wind. But it does trigger a change in Sam that encompasses every problem she has with her father. Sam is seen but never really heard. Chris loves and protects her unconditionally, but hasn’t taken the time or effort to understand his daughter.
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A Superb Lily Collias Acts Out the Themes
Collias delivers a luminous performance that anchors the film. Sam is depicted from the start as mature, thoughtful, and unselfish. She’s not exaggerative in any way. Sam never complains or wants to be the center of attention. She’s aware beyond her years and provides a kind ear when needed. Sam gives frank advice without being hurtful. She doesn’t encourage Matt’s woe-is-me demeanor, but is also cognizant of his fragility. Chris doesn’t recognize or take her concerns seriously about what transpires. You can feel her sorrow and disenchantment at the person who should be her biggest advocate and supporter.
Donaldson has Sam menstruating throughout Good One, something that is rarely portrayed accurately in film. Donaldson deserves credit for highlighting a process that every woman deals with as a normal part of their lives, one which contributes to the film’s essential theme (the realization that men and women live in different worlds, and we’re usually ignorant about each other). They go about their business with most men completely unaware that it’s happening. Sam doesn’t skip the trip or ask for special treatment apart from privacy. She wants to be with her father on the hike. She realizes that even if you’re with someone, they might not be there.
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Good One Is Slowcore Cinema
Metrograph
Good One has been critically lauded and compared to the work of the masterful Kelly Reichardt (Wendy and Lucy, Meek’s Cutoff, First Cow), probably because of her masterful film Old Joy, which followed two adult friends on a nature hike and captures so much by doing so little. Donaldson may follow in her cinematic footsteps, but that’s extraordinary praise. Reichardt’s films are mesmerizing in every frame. Good One will honestly be a chore for most people to sit through; 90 minutes seems like hours as the characters plod along. Good One will probably bore most audiences, but can be appreciated for its acting and meaning. At best, it’s a platform for Collias’ significant talent. Keep an eye out for her next role.
Good One is a production of International Pigeon, Smudge Films, and Tinygiant Baird Street Pictures. It will have a limited theatrical distribution from Metrograph Pictures on August 9th. You can find information and tickets here.
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