Good One (film)

Good One is an 2024 American drama film, written, directed, and produced by India Donaldson in her directorial debut. It stars Lily Collias, James Le Gros and Danny McCarthy.

It had its world premiere at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival on January 21, 2024, and is scheduled to be released on August 9, 2024, by Metrograph Pictures.

Premise
Sam, a young queer woman, navigates clashes between her father and his friend, during a backpacking trip in the Catskills.

Cast

 * Lily Collias as Sam
 * James Le Gros as Chris
 * Danny McCarthy as Matt
 * Sumaya Bouhbal as Jessie
 * Diana Irvine as Casey
 * Sam Lanier as Zach
 * Peter McNally as Jake
 * Eric Yates as Andy

Release
The film had its world premiere at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival on January 21, 2024. In February 2024, Metrograph Pictures acquired distribution rights to the film, their first acquisition since expanding into theatrical distribution of films. It also screened at New Directors/New Films Festival on April 4, 2024. and will screen at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival in the Directors' Fortnight section. It is scheduled to be released on August 9, 2024.

Critical reception
For The Hollywood Reporter, David Rooney wrote that "Donaldson is careful not to make the men unsympathetic, but at the same time, Collias’ body language and the telltale flickers across her expressive face suggest that Sam isn’t entirely comfortable with her prescriptive gender role as the designated nurturer and caregiver — the good one, as the title indicates. While it remains between the lines of the screenplay, there’s significance in Sam’s identity as a young queer woman ready to focus on her own relationship and future, not thrilled to be bolstering the fragile egos of two middle-aged men."