Leave No Trace (2018)

Director: Debra Granik
Stars: Thomasin McKenzie, Ben Foster, Jeffrey Rifflard
Runtime: 109 minutes

Synopsis: A war veteran suffering from PTSD and his daughter must face the consequences of living in a public park.

• Performances: 7/10

Why? Despite feeling sometimes off, I thoroughly enjoyed both McKenzie and Foster's very realistic performances. I do wish, however, that they showed a little more emotional range that would've made their characters more interesting in my opinion.

• Screenplay: 6/10

Why? "Leave No Trace" holds a 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes, which is something only a handful of movies were able to achieve. And while there is no denying that the film is masterfully done, I just couldn't bring myself to care about the story told. I'd describe it as being more of a character study centered around the themes of PTSD and man's true place in the world than an actual narrative, but I felt that it suffered a lot in its pacing. I usually don't mind slow-paced films, especially when they feature interesting characters and engaging dialogue, but was let down by both these aspects in this particular film. I didn't find the characters to be interesting enough to carry the movie, and found the dialogue to be minimal and sometimes cheesy. I wouldn't suggest this movie to people who like their movies to be fast-paced, but I'd say that people interested in the themes I just mentioned would probably enjoy this production even though I think they've been tackled in a better way before ("Wild", "Captain Fantastic", and "Into the Wild" come to mind immediately).

• Costumes/Makeup: 7/10

Why? They won't grab your attention, and that's a good thing because it means that they were designed realistically. 

• Editing: 5/10

Why? The editing could've helped a lot with the pacing of the film but unfortunately doesn't. I also felt that some scenes could've been edited out from the final cut.

• Cinematography: 8/10

Why? Shooting a film in the woods is never easy. However, cinematographer Michael McDonough managed to pull it off all the while taking advantage of this surroundings. The movie looks beautiful, there is no denying it.

• Score/Soundtrack: 5/10

Why? Absent from the film, which added to its realism but also made it feel less alive. 

FINAL GRADE: 6/10