India Donaldson's directorial debut, Good One, will bring indie film lovers back to the times of camping trips with dad and when mumblecore was at its finest. Following the simple yet poignant journey of 17-year-old Sam (Lily Collias) on a camping trip with her father Chris (James Le Gros) and his close friend Matt (Danny McCarthy), Good One is packed with powerful moments that remind audiences about the best times they had with their families, but also why they had to move out.
Good One begins without a distinct goal for audiences to orient themselves around, and it's hard to distinguish if it's a road trip movie or whether the destination is what matters, why they're going camping, or if asking why even matters. Surprisingly, though, the lack of a clear, grounding goal and deliberately slow pacing doesn't hinder the film.
Thanks to the incredible writing and delivery of each and every scene, Good One overcomes a common problem with films like this and is able to keep up the quiet tension while being endlessly engaging. Good One is a fantastic character study where every word out of Chris and Matt's mouths bounces viewers between joy that they're so accepting of the quiet, queer teen on the trip with them, and blind rage at their backhanded phrasing and cruel words.
A welcome addition to movies like Lady Bird, Good One takes lessons from mumblecore's character- and dialogue-driven storytelling, but puts a twist on the parent-child relationship. A relationship between a hard-headed man and his queer daughter that isn't hinged on his ability to handle her sexuality is just about as refreshing as a movie can get.
Despite being about a teenager, Good One shouldn't be mistaken for a coming-of-age film. It represents the moment right before a much bigger stage in her life: a camping trip with dad right before she goes off to college. It's a reminder that the small moments can deliver just as powerful of a punch as the biggest ones. That father and daughter being able to handle each other is a great feat, and no family's perfect — but there certainly are worse ones out there.
The tension and buildup manifest in tiny issues that become increasingly glaring — that can't and won't be resolved in their current living situation. Like most suburban teens, Sam needs to get away to grow. This is what makes Good One different from a typical coming-of-age story: the joy in this film is in the hope that what happens next will be a step towards new things.
For the men, not a lot has changed after this camping trip. For Sam, her quiet, contemplative dam has started to crack.