Good One: Film Review
Good One, the stunning feature directorial debut from India Donaldson, has been showered with critical acclaim over the past year or so and I can now add my voice to the choir.
The film follows teenager Sam (Lily Collias), who is supposed to go on a three-day hiking trip in the Catskill Mountains with her dad Chris (James Le Gros), his friend Matt (Danny McCarthy) and Matt’s teenage son Dylan. However, Dylan bails at the last minute and Sam ends up going on the trip with two adult men.
Good One is pretty low-key and there’s not a ton of plot but it’s all about the dynamics between these three characters. The setup made me feel uneasy. Yes, Sam’s with her dad but I would have felt more comfortable if she had someone her own age there or another female. Even though she’s significantly younger, Sam accepts the typical gender role and cooks, cleans and generally looks after the men. She doesn’t act like a child and is very wise, dishing out great advice to both men.
Not much happens but I was fully captivated watching this trio and listening to their conversations. It helps that the dialogue and performances are both excellent. I particularly loved Collias in this role as she is so natural and subtle as the smart and honest Sam. How she responds to a game-changing moment is perfect.
I would have given Good One a full five stars if it wasn’t for the ending. It felt like it needed another 5-10 minutes just to confront everything and wrap things up properly. It speaks volumes that I wanted to watch more!
Good One is a quietly powerful debut from Donaldson. I can’t wait to see what she does next.
In cinemas now