Review of Leave No Trace (2018) by Steve I — 13 Jan 2019

A great film with a captivating performance by Thomasin Mckenzie as daughter Tom. Covers a lot of ground you don't often see in films-PTSD, homelessness, social services, rural life and values-in a nuanced and compassionate way.

A lesser movie would have treated the story as a father and daughter who just want to be left alone to live in nature but keep getting harassed by The System. But director Debra Granik paints a subtler picture, shining a light on the messy overlap of loving relationships and mental illness, and the many challenges of trying to help those broken by trauma.

It's a movie that tells much without a lot of words, through Tom's expressions, beautiful symbolism, and the many gestures of ordinary people also familiar with life's traumas and willing to lend a hand.