India Donaldson’s Good One is a sneaky revelation, a low-key coming-of-age drama that deftly sidesteps familiar tropes in favour of keen cringe comedy and emotional precision.
Set against the verdant backdrop of the Catskill Mountains, in New York State, the film follows 17-year-old Sam (the remarkable Lily Collias, in a breakout performance) as she joins her father, Chris (James Le Gros), and his long-time friend Matt (Danny McCarthy) on what was supposed to be a four-person hiking trip.
When Matt’s resentful son bails, Sam finds herself an unwilling third wheel to two middle-aged man babies marinating in nostalgia, insecurities and unacknowledged failures.
Spooky campfire tales descend into stories of postdivorce resentment. A meal at a roadside diner culminates in food shaming. “I’ve never been a vegetarian,” Sam explains patiently. “But you seem like one,” Dad replies.
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Under the guise of banter, Matt teases Sam about her queerness; Chris demeans her driving. The passive-aggressive barbs come thick and fast while Sam is left to cook the ramen, dismantle the tent and act as unofficial umpire.
Her parentalised status is finally acknowledged in a moment of toe-curling inappropriateness. All subsequent attempts to flag the disconcerting incident are brushed off, leaving the weary heroine to enact a deliciously petty revenge.
Donaldson, a first-time writer, director and producer, has written a fiendishly clever script enlivened by a quick-witted ensemble cast. Collias, who can do more with a raised eyebrow than most actors can manage with a soliloquy, brings exasperated pathos to every reaction shot and pregnant silence. The cinematographer Wilson Cameron frames the bickering and multiple microaggressions with serene woodlands, rushing rivers and tranquil hillsides.
This sly, observant debut – a critical wow at both Sundance and Cannes last year – channels the bittersweetness of Kelly Reichardt’s snappier moments, but from the youthful perspective of an eye-rolling teenager staring into the abyss of male privilege.
In cinemas from Friday, May 16th
