Good One

The anticipated twist never materialized. The film attempts to blend the tranquility of nature with a forced tension, relying on the setup of a group of men and a young woman isolated in the woods. This approach feels contrived and detracts from what could have been a great movie about a father and daughter learning to adjust with adulthood.

The film presents a viewpoint suggesting that men may have unfavorable traits, while also proposing that women are remarkable with a level of intelligence that may be considered exceptional. We only are introduced to 2 women and about 10 men throughout the film. All 10 coming across as arrogant and capable of anything and the two women as being introverted and rational. This alone sets a stage for the message men=bad and women=good. In my view, the last 20 minutes of the film unequivocally prove the opposite.

The acting was superb across the board, and the mixing, editing, and overall production were done well.

Before writing this, I checked my calendar and half-planned a trip to a nearby bird sanctuary on the upcoming weekend. That is the effect Good One had on me, although the makers had different plans with the way the film moves from being about a trio nature-hiking to one about relationship dynamics. The shift is sudden and it's only then you realise that the writer had subtly hinted it before. You'd be lying if you say you were seeing it coming. All the cosiness the film had created till then goes away but you still stare into the nature and wonder about things. Good One has a good effect on you and I recommend it. Lead actor is terrific and so are the other two actors. Together, they have renewed my hiking plans.

Good one dad... Not... I liked the subtlety of the facial expressions, the many close-ups, the hints, the looks. When will we be able to stop tiptoeing around men's fragile egos? It's not like they return the favour or care whatever we feel. We're just being emotional or crazy.

This deserves more recognition. It's a precious little gem. I'm sure it's not everybody's cup of tea but I think most women will appreciate what it's trying to say.

I'm starting to feel I might be blessed for not spending that much time with my dad as a kid, if at all. I would have hated being around all this. Although I've witnessed plenty of butthurt behaviour at family gatherings. Always triggered by alcohol of course. Brings out the worst in people.

The movie "Good One" follows a perceptive 17-year-old girl who joins her father and his friend on a weekend hiking trip in the Catskills. Director India Donaldson uses this setting to craft a story that starts as a serene walk, away from the big city, and gradually unfolds into a tense emotional journey. She effectively uses numerous silent close-ups of the teenager's face, building a quiet but palpable tension. As teenage Sam, Lily Collias conveys nuanced shifts in mood and discomfort through body language and facial expressions, rather than relying on dialogue.

The movie explores the complexities of adolescence through the quiet realization that adulthood isn't the haven of wisdom it once seemed. She begins to see that the grown-ups around her are often emotionally immature, flawed, and struggling to navigate their own lives.

The movie's biggest issue is that it feels slow for a while. You keep waiting for something meaningful to kick in, and it finally does-but only in the second half.

India Donaldson's first feature film, Good One, is a quiet, slow-paced story that trusts viewers to pay attention and recognize important moments, even when it may seem that nothing much is happening. Good One marks the arrival of two notable talents: Donaldson and Lily Colias. Eschewing the typical storytelling signposts and noisy confrontations, the film unspools slowly, with cinematographer Wilson Cameron's keen eye making nature a vital part of the tale.

The dynamic of a planned three-day hike is markedly altered when Matt's son bails at the last minute, leaving 17-year-old Sam to function as a third wheel with her father Chris (a spot-on James Le Gros) and Matt (Danny McCarthy), two middle-aged men in need of more respite than a hike can provide, even with Sam there to reveal wisdom and poise beyond her years.

Not since Jennifer Lawrence's star turn in Debra Granik's Winter's Bone has a young actor so vividly presented a fresh talent to keep an eye on. We will be seeing a lot more of Colias. Le Gros brings a quiet complexity to Chris, bringing to mind his stellar work in Kelly Reichardt's Certain Women. Like Reichardt, Donaldson's film is not flashy, subtly calling attention to the faces of the cast and glory of nature. While Celia Hollander's quality score at times underscores the mood, it is occasionally intrusive when natural sounds and silence would have better served the moment.

Once the small, big thing happens, Matt does not speak again, nor is he seen in the same frame as Sam. Only very briefly is he on screen with Chris. The shots and framing are no accident. The implications for the trio's relationships going forward are suggested with delicacy. The visual storytelling makes for a sumptuous treat on a small scale. For a film in which "very little happens," the events of the hike change all three.