Good One 2024

Sam is a girl who plans to go on a weekend-long camping trip in the Catskills with her father Chris, his recently divorced friend Matt, and Matt’s son Dylan. Dylan, resentful of the divorce, refuses to go. [Sam] seems upset by this and offers to talk to Dylan, but he rebuffs her.

On the way there, Matt cracks jokes and Chris needles him, the kind of banter that hints at a long, tangled history between the two men. Sam dozes in the back of the car and stirs only when Chris asks her to respond to a text on his phone.

They squeeze into a single hotel room, with Sam sleeping on a sleeping bag on the floor while the two men take the beds. At dinner, Matt toys with Sam about being queer, and he ribs Chris about having a newborn at home with his new wife, a string of jabs that light up the evening with uneasy humor.

On the way from the hotel to the trail, Sam drives while Chris criticizes her driving, a reminder of the power dynamics at play. When they arrive, Chris criticizes Matt for packing too much stuff for the trail, dumping out his pack and labeling unnecessary items. The trio begins hiking, and Sam discovers small moments of peace in the quiet of the woods. As they progress, Sam often has to step away from the path to manage personal care, a detail that underscores the practical roles she quietly assumes. When cell reception returns, Sam texts back home to her girlfriend, a thread that connects her to someone outside the trip.

That night, three hikers pitch camp directly next to them. Sam wants to ask them to move, but her father urges her to let it go. Sam cooks ramen for Chris and Matt, who praise her cooking. After dinner, the hikers join them around the fire, sharing stories about past hikes. One of the wanderers speaks of places they have been, sparking Chris’s playful, if impractical, dream of hiking through China.

The next day, the trio continues their hike, savoring many quiet moments in nature. Throughout the trek, Sam often assumes responsibilities, such as dismantling the tent, while Matt and Chris trade barbs and banter. They arrive at a picturesque overlook and spend time admiring the beauty of the landscape. Matt jokes about future adventures, and Chris half-jokingly agrees that he should go on more hikes. That night, they sit around the fire telling scary stories. Chris and Matt are visibly intoxicated, and the conversation turns toward the fragility of family life. Matt recounts a painful memory of infidelity between him and Dylan’s mother as a “spooky story,” and Sam pushes back, criticizing him for not taking greater responsibility for his role in the marriage ending. She also challenges her father for dating again while he has a newborn at home. Matt and Chris respond with a mix of praise and defensiveness, recognizing Sam’s wisdom and maturity, and Matt tells Chris, “you got a good one.” Chris heads to bed, while Sam and Matt continue to talk, with Sam offering insights and Matt remaining self-deprecating.

The next day, Sam and Chris slip away to swim, while Matt remains behind. Sam tries to tell her father about what Matt said, but Chris brushes it off, suggesting that he simply wants to enjoy a nice day. Feeling betrayed, Sam breaks down and cries. She collects rocks along the shore, placing some into Chris’s and Matt’s packs as a quiet protest. She hikes ahead, leaving them behind and moving toward the car on her own. When Chris and Matt catch up, Chris is angry and asks her to drive. Sam agrees to drive, but she first locks Chris and Matt out of the car for a moment. After a tense beat, she unlocks the doors. Her father climbs into the passenger seat, and they share a charged, silent look as he places a rock on the dashboard—a small, stubborn token that marks the distance growing between them.