Good One

17-year-old Sam shares a close and warm bond with her father, Chris. Chris fully accepts her for who she is, but beneath the surface, tensions about the past linger. When they go backpacking with Matt, an old friend of Chris's, the dynamic begins to shift. The two men dominate the conversations with memories and their own troubles, while Sam mostly listens and is only allowed to speak on their terms. When a seemingly innocent joke takes an uncomfortable turn, Sam realizes she’s on her own. Chris, from whom she expected support, lets her down. This moment forces her to see her father in a new light and make an important decision about her own future.

India Donaldson (daughter of director Roger Donaldson) makes an emotionally layered and subtle feature debut with Good One, emphasizing stunning cinematography and the unspoken tensions that are deeply felt. Without judgment, Donaldson captures the generational dynamics with nuance. Good One is an intimate coming-of-age drama and a relatable story about family, trust, and forgiveness. The film was selected for the Directors’ Fortnight at both Sundance and the Cannes Film Festival, and has already received multiple awards and nominations.