Good One Review: A Deeply Observant Debut

India Donaldson’s debut feature, Good One, had its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in 2024. The film tells the story of 17-year-old Sam, who joins her father Chris and his friend Matt for a weekend camping trip in the Catskill Mountains near New York City. Sam is preparing to leave for college in a few weeks and views this as perhaps her final trip with just her dad.

Chris is recently divorced and struggling with being an older father. He’s eager to spend quality time with Sam before she’s off to start the next chapter of her life. Matt was once a successful television actor but has seen his career decline in recent years. Both men are feeling the pressure of getting older in different ways. Sam often finds herself playing referee between Chris and Matt’s bickering as they hash out frustrations over failed relationships and missed opportunities.

Meanwhile, Sam navigates her own path to independence while still being devoted to her father. Donaldson observes these complex family dynamics unfolding over the course of their hiking expedition through subtle moments of dialogue and the way each character interacts with one another. With minimal drama and notable performances, Good One provides a thoughtful reflection on changing relationships as a daughter reaches adulthood.

The Quiet Power of Sam

Lily Collias’ emotionally intelligent performance brings to life 17-year-old Sam, the introspective teenager joining her father Chris and his friend Matt for a camping trip in the Catskills. Outwardly compliant as she cooks meals and listens to the men’s habitual griping, Sam observes everything unfolding around her with a subtle skepticism.

Not yet ready to directly challenge her father, she reserves judgment, communicating through dry humor and knowing looks that reveal an inner life more complex than those assuming her complacency realize. As she prepares for this weekend to mark her last with just Chris before college, Sam dutifully maintains their bond despite the recognition that her own needs remain overlooked in their dynamic. Her rebellion, when it comes, stuns for its quiet power in claiming the understanding now hers to set.

Chris too struggles with independence, torn between the desire to connect with Sam and the self-absorption filling their conversations. Played with compassion by James Le Gros, Chris takes Sam’s patience for granted and is dismissive when her concerns don’t match his intent for an uncomplicated visit. Yet his love for Sam remains genuine, with pain glimpsed as he pleads in vain for the unconditional closeness slipping from his grasp.

Bringing tension while seeking solidarity, Danny McCarthy’s Matt speaks from recent losses, his vulnerability drawing empathy even as inappropriate comments leave Sam unsettled. The men’s friendship shows fissures, a reminder that none are immune to life’s capacity to stray from shared dreams over time’s passage.

Through these intimately drawn characters and their nuanced portrayals, director India Donaldson crafts a meditation on changing relationships and the quiet transformations marking life’s transitions.

Natural landscapes contrast with inner turmoil

Good One makes great use of its woodland setting, with cinematographer Wilson Cameron capturing the beauty of the Catskills trails, waterfalls, and foliage. These tranquil outdoor scenes offer a vivid sense of place but also serve as a backdrop to the interpersonal tensions simmering just beneath the surface.

Director India Donaldson establishes a meditative tone from the start, with long, lingering shots that allow moments to breathe. This pacing may not be for everyone, but it proves highly effective at cultivating an aura of discomfort. Donaldson refuses to spoon-feed the audience, trusting us to pick up on the unspoken stresses through observation as subtle shifts occur.

Perhaps most striking are the intimate closeups focused on Sam, played with nuanced expressiveness by Lily Collias. Donaldson zeroes in on Sam’s face to reveal the private thoughts and feelings she mostly keeps hidden from her father and his friend. With just a glance or flicker of expression, Collias conveys Sam’s growing realization that she’s shouldering an unfair emotional burden to keep the peace. These crowded woodland scenes shrink to focus on one girl’s troubled contemplation, highlighting how alone she often feels amongst companions who don’t truly see her.

Through its aesthetics and pace, Good One turns a weekend camping trip into a slow-burning drama where interpersonal fault lines are exposed through watchful observation rather than dramatic confrontations. Donaldson trusts the audience to absorb her subtle commentary on family dynamics, coming of age, and the discomfort that arises when adults fail to recognize a teenager’s autonomy and interior life.

Relationships in Transition

The camping trip at the heart of Good One provides a crucible to examine the uneven dynamics between Chris, Matt and Sam. While presented as a casual outing among friends and family, differences in age, gender, and life stage subtly shape their interactions.

We see this most clearly in how the two men relate to Sam. As the only woman and a teenager to boot, she finds herself cast in the supportive role they expect. They see Sam as wise beyond her years when dispensing advice, but dismiss her perspective when it contradicts their own. Even small actions, like claiming the motel beds while Sam sleeps on the floor, reveal her comfort in taking a back seat to theirs.

Under their friendly veneer, Chris and Matt exhibit a brand of fragile masculinity too. Their banter mixes light roasting with simmering competitiveness over whose life has fallen apart the least. With marriage and career hopes long since fizzled, putting each other down appears to be the sole validation remaining. Yet facing middle age alone has also left them needy—and quick to resent Sam when she doesn’t cater fully to their emotional needs.

The trip works as something of an awakening for Sam too. While carrying herself with quiet composure, her every glance hints at discomfort with the power plays at work. And as little as she regards her own needs, a longing for independence builds. The event forcing this to a head holds complexities as impactful as it is upsetting, instigating in Sam a newly assertive stance regarding how she allows others to treat her. By the journey’s end, what began as a carefree outing has accelerated Sam’s departure from the role of dutiful daughter, taking her first steps as her own person in charge of her future.

Turning Points

Tensions had been simmering quietly on the group’s hiking trip, with little moments revealing deeper issues. Sam found herself acting as a peacekeeper more than enjoying time with her father. An easy rhythm had formed between Chris and Matt, but their banter showed years of baggage unaddressed.

A discomforting remark from Matt brought things to a head. While complaining about his divorce, he seemingly didn’t realize how inappropriate a comment came across to Sam. Where before she may have let such things slide, here in the woods, her thoughts had space to wander. The wounded look on her face said plenty, though she stayed silent. When Chris dismissed her unease to keep their day pleasant, it underscored who he saw as truly important.

Sam had always walked the line between obedience and expression, playing the mature daughter. But her willingness for complacency had limits. If no one would listen to her worries, she would demand attention in her own calm way. The next morning, Sam announced she wished to break off on her own walk, vanishing into the trees alone.

By taking control of this little act and refusing the role left for her, Sam shifted how power sat between these three. Her father’s concern showed how much he realized, too late, that he hadn’t known his daughter’s mind for some time. The trip’s end brought an opening, a chance to see each other differently and maybe build a better understanding. Sam had come of age, and her companions would never see her as just an agreeable child again.

Lily Collias captivates as Sam

Lily Collias turns in a breakthrough performance as Sam. Though only 17, Sam observes the world around her with remarkable wisdom. Collias brings Sam to life through fleeting facial expressions and moments of quiet introspection, conveying the character’s deeper thoughts and feelings without words.

You can see Sam’s patience and understanding when listening to her father and his friend rehash old problems, as well as her flashes of frustration over being taken for granted. Collias imbues Sam with a strong inner life yet keeps her outwardly compliant, highlighting the character’s maturity beyond her years. It’s a rich portrayal that forms the heart of The Good One. Through Collias’ captivating work, Sam emerges as a fascinating young woman on the verge of change—one who you can’t help but root for as she begins to stand up for herself.

Director India Donaldson guides viewers through her story with subtlety and care. She lingers in quiet moments that reveal unspoken tensions, from how the characters interact during meals to brief exchanges caught from a distance. These sparse yet powerful details sketch the relationships and dynamics at play. Donaldson also contrasts serene nature shots against the turbulent emotions simmering beneath the surface. And she was unafraid to draw out tension through long takes that heightened the uncomfortable silences between Sam, her father, and his friend. It’s an observational style that immerses you in the film’s world and allows deeper meanings to emerge gradually through watchful storytelling. Under Donaldson’s guidance, Good One evolves into a richly impactful examination of family and what it means to come of age.

The Quiet Power of Good One

India Donaldson’s debut feature tells an impactful coming-of-age story almost entirely without words. Through careful observation of its characters in the beautiful natural setting, the film conveys a depth of understanding.

At its core is 17-year-old Sam, played with nuanced subtlety by Lily Collias. Joining her divorced father and his friend on a camping trip, she serves as the voice of reason. But beneath her calm surface lies a complexity rarely acknowledged.

The dynamics silently shift as long-buried tensions emerge. Chris and Matt continue reveling in reminiscing, taking Sam’s patience for granted. But their banter also hints at failures to fully accept life’s changes.

Donaldson lingers in these moments, letting unspoken meanings emerge. Wilson Cameron’s gorgeous cinematography of the surrounding woods contrasts with the private turmoil. Yet a new clarity gradually dawns on Sam as she steps back to see individuals beyond pretenses.

This minor drama feels profound for how much it conveys through stillness. In a week, Sam may start the next chapter. Yet this journey subtly reshaped relationships in ways only Donaldson’s discerning lens could reveal. Hers is an auspicious debut for its perceptiveness and gift for uncovering deep truths in the ordinary. Even without big resolutions, the film leaves a thoughtful, lasting impact.