Review of Leave No Trace (2018) by Michael T — 18 Jul 2018

Leave No Trace achieves excellence in its simplicity.

In her first narrative film since launching Jennifer Lawrence's career with Winter's Bone, Debra Granik has again fostered a talented young female star that seamlessly demonstrates urgency and vulnerability. Thomasin McKenzie stars alongside Ben Foster, as a daughter/father duo who have removed themselves from society, living in the wilderness of the thick Oregonion forests. Playing chess, reading, and honing their skills of tracking and camouflage, they are caught and separated for questioning, and possibly relocation. By this point in the movie, it is clear that Foster's character is a military veteran and is living with some sort of stress disorder as a result, while Mackenzie, ignorant to the norms of modern society, is just now entering her teenage years.

The movie is stunningly beautiful, not only in its sense of setting, (Granik shoots wilderness in such a wonderful, other-worldly manner) but beautiful in the subtle choices made by all of the characters. Leave No Trace is honest in its portrayal of human kindness and communication. There are no out-and-out antagonists of the film: the feds are doing their job by keeping the lands free of residents, the social worker only wants to help, and the people along the way are sometimes skeptical, but remain fair.

Leave No Trace achieves excellence in its simplicity. Neither the characters nor the conflicts are over-explained, the audience is allowed to read and interpret. The story illustrates verisimilitude through authenticity. It seems as though many of the ancillary actors weren't professional, but that invariably gave weight and insight to the story. Ben Foster is as good as he ever is, albeit in a role that requires much more restraint than he is accustomed to, and Thomasin McKenzie is a bonafide presence that I expect to see much more of in the coming years.