Director: India Donaldson
Writer: India Donaldson
Stars: Lily Collias, Sumaya Bouhbal, Valentine Black
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.
Why do some people feel the need to escape into nature? With her debut feature, Good One, India Donaldson examines the curious drive people have to get away from the harsh realities of everyday life into the calm beauty of the outdoors. But if this film is any indication, it’s that our problems don’t just stop at the edge of the forest we enter. On the contrary, they mask themselves in vague comments and upsetting remarks. We just handle them in a slightly different manner. And in the case of Sam (Lily Collias), she is forced to be stuck with her father, Chris (James Le Gros), and his friend Matt (Danny McCarthy), as they grapple with their own issues in the Catskills during a hiking trip. A quiet reflection on the experience of young womanhood, Sam is deemed “too young to be so wise” at one point in the film. What that character doesn’t realize is that women are more inclined to be, considering all they have to put up with from older men feeling they can say or do whatever they please.
One gets the sense fairly quickly that trips like these are a common tradition. The only difference, at least at first glance, is that Matt’s son bailed at the last minute, leaving Sam to fend for herself in terms of socializing. While she clearly enjoys hiking with her father, a last-minute father/daughter/unprepared friend trip is an entirely different experience in its own right. And before the trio even begins their 3-day hike, it seems as if this is a tradition that has become warped over time. What may have begun as a brisk reminder of the beauty of nature has now become an obligation. A yearly reminder that, even though their lives appear to be falling apart outside the woods, there’s a cohesion holding it all together. It’s a shame to think of beautiful memories that were made, becoming slowly bastardized by this sense of feeling as if you’re unable to turn down the trip.
A light, airy score opens up the film as we’re treated to lush woods and beautifully lit sights of the forest. It sets the stage for an experience where it feels as if anything could happen. We’re then suddenly whisked away to a New York apartment where the final preparations are being made. With it being New York, of course there’s a sense of everything and everybody feeling on top of one another. Sam might hope that a trip like this will allow her to feel freer than ever, but when Matt’s son drops out, she finds herself sharing a room with two grown men. The hum of the hotel bathroom fan is mere feet away, and that sense of being on top of one another is once again perfectly encapsulated without ever directly addressing it. Once the trio are actually in the woods, there is a sense of freedom… at least somewhat. It’s evident that Chris is very much a man who revels in his role of being a father, and all that comes with that title.
Whether he’s exclaiming “For crying out loud” or triple checking the location of an incredibly unnecessary item, Le Gros plays the role with just the right amount of cheesiness. There’s no question that, at least for him, these trips still mean something special. That’s not to say that Sam and Matt both don’t appreciate these hikes in their own way, but it wouldn’t be a massive stretch to imagine he would be the most hurt if the trip fell apart. So, his actions and reactions make complete sense, especially when you begin wondering if this trip is a last-ditch attempt at an escape from the troubles of reality. His job appears to be incredibly demanding, and over time, marital troubles reveal themselves. For Matt, Donaldson subtly hints that his marriage is falling apart until she quickly and abruptly confirms it. This is a film that revels in the serene beauty of the outdoors, but is also unafraid to remind us that any pain and fragility we showed up with will follow us along the hiking path. Yet, these three are on a hike where the goal should be to promote observation and understanding. Instead, it feels as if there’s a regression. Sam feels the most capable and comfortable in her own skin. And of course, leave it to a set of gross third act sequences to ruin the beauty and peace she is looking for.
As far as a debut goes, Good One is remarkable at holding its hand for as long as possible. It consistently upends you, albeit with subtlety. The beauty of nature should not exist merely to cover up our ugliness. To treat it as such on a yearly weekend trip feels a bit disgraceful. It’s almost as if, through this trip, Sam is beginning to see the harsh realities of the people around her and how they have warped what should be something beautiful. And after two brisk but patient acts, Donaldson all but razes the woods in service of her thesis statement. It’s a beautifully realized film, signaling the entrance of a filmmaker who not only has something compelling to say, but a fresh and powerful way to say it. While the very final moments may leave a bit to be desired, the way in which Donaldson leads us there is beautiful. Let’s hope that audiences don’t take that beauty for granted.
Good One celebrated its world premiere at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival in the U.S. Dramatic Competition section, and is currently seeking distribution.
