Good One, 2024.
Written and Directed by India Donaldson.
Starring Lily Collias, James Le Gros, Danny McCarthy, Sumaya Bouhbal, Diana Irvine, Sam Lanier, Peter McNally, and Eric Yates.
SYNOPSIS:
During a weekend backpacking trip in the Catskills, 17-year-old Sam navigates the clash of egos between her father and his oldest friend.
In India Donaldson’s Good One, Sam (a captivating performance from newcomer Lily Collias) is on a backpacking trip with her father, Chris (James Le Gros), which appears to be their favorite bonding activity. Joining them is her father’s longtime friend Matt (Danny McCarthy) and his son, at least until they get into an argument at the front door while attempting to pick them up for the drive into the Catskills. The son chooses to stay behind. Even with that unexpected wrinkle thrown into their plans, one imagines that this trio has done something similar before, perhaps multiple times. The point is that this time, the college-bound Sam is about to have her relationship with those two men changed forever, especially a father she increasingly grows cold toward, slowly getting a stronger grasp of his most unlikable qualities.
Whether it’s Chris being passive-aggressive toward his current partner (he is divorced from Sam’s mom), stubbornly refusing to listen to anything his daughter says regarding his behavior, or Matt’s pity-pretty routine (not to mention a staggering lack of preparation that leaves his friend frustrated and putting him down often), the 17-year-old girl regularly demonstrates herself to be the smartest person in the car and forest. Wise beyond her years, much of the runtime consists of Sam giving them individual advice that is generally ignored by her father and sometimes taken by Matt, who we can assume to be similar to an uncle figure, given how long he has likely been in her life.
India Donaldson also captures the Catskills in quietly stunning beauty, maneuvering the characters into striking locales such as cliffs and rivers. She also sees Sam as a character beyond the story being told, ensuring that the girl has a life beyond camping with her dad and his best friend. Sam is depicted texting friends on the car ride there and managing her period across the days. Such small scenes also make where the film ultimately goes land with a greater force; she is a young girl on the verge of adulthood, yet, by the ending, she also shouldn’t be in the position she finds herself in emotionally.
Chris and Matt have both had failed marriages, meaning that in between whipping up some quick meals and hiking, Sam often finds herself listening and reacting to their conversations and dissatisfaction with life. While it’s also fairly obvious where the story goes regarding these character dynamics, specifically one moment that drastically alters things forever, India Donaldson is aware not to center the entire third act on that.
Good One remains fixated on characterization with naturalistic dialogue from all and a phenomenally understated performance from Lily Collias, focused on how her perception of these two men shifts. It’s an exquisitely shot (Wilson Cameron) devastating coming-of-age story where a girl practically loses all respect for her father and presumably another close male figure, also pointing out the unsettling truth of how girls, especially ones with a great deal of maturity, are perceived as they grow closer to womanhood.
Even though it is sometimes detrimentally slow-moving, Good One is always engaging, leaving one prepared for something to dissolve the connections here that are already hanging on by a thread (with ominous music from Celia Hollander setting that stage.) The ending, in particular, is hard to shake, driving home the idea that the relationship between these three has fallen apart.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★
Robert Kojder is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association and the Critics Choice Association. He is also the Flickering Myth Reviews Editor. Check here for new reviews, follow my Twitter or Letterboxd, or email me at MetalGearSolid719@gmail.com
Originally published August 9, 2024. Updated August 10, 2024.
