Leave No Trace is a frustrating movie. It is from the same director that made Winter’s Bone, it has an intriguing premise and a good pair of lead actors, but in the end it all just feels like unfulfilled potential.
While the movie does offer character development, it arrives almost entirely in the final fifteen minutes, leaving the preceding runtime feeling hollow. Considering the high stakes of its premise and the implications for its characters, Debra Granik plays it too safe.
Nevertheless, the performances by Ben Foster and Thomasin McKenzie are deeply engaging, particularly the latter’s. She is the moral anchor of the movie and the one person that is easier to get attached to.
Leave No Trace is a frustrating movie. It is from the same director that made Winter’s Bone, it has an intriguing premise and a good pair of lead actors, but in the end it all just feels like unfulfilled potential.
While the movie does offer character development, it arrives almost entirely in the final fifteen minutes, leaving the preceding runtime feeling hollow. Considering the high stakes of its premise and the implications for its characters, Debra Granik plays it too safe.
Nevertheless, the performances by Ben Foster and Thomasin McKenzie are deeply engaging, particularly the latter’s. She is the moral anchor of the movie and the one person that is easier to get attached to.
