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Don’t make me go is not a groundbreaking story, nor a cliched and formulaic adventure drama. It is written by vera herbert and directed by Hannah Marks. Don’t make me go occasionally moves into the rom-com or the road trip comedy genre and tries to be both and sometimes tries to be neither. But the film doesn’t face an identity crisis as it manages to find its feet at different points in the story.
John Cho stars as Max Park who finds out that he has a bone tumor and that he doesn’t have long to live. He decides to spend time with his daughter and to go on a road trip with a purpose. Things usually don’t go according to plans, at the same time his daughter mia also keeps making immature and sometimes rebellious choices. The story will go to unexpected places several times throughout the runtime.
Hannah marks creates a feel-good tone through most parts of the movie, making the film very watchable. Her creative visual style also facilitates the weight of the scenes and reinforces the importance of locations, as our main characters are on a road trip for the most part of the movie. The background score is also very effective. The film is high on emotion and gets the father-daughter bond right, especially since the lead is a single father.
There aren’t too many subplots or side characters but it never feels like the story needed one. There are a couple of side characters who could have had more screen time though. But it doesn’t matter much because our leads have such great chemistry. The film slows down and does feel a little stretched in the second act but that’s not a significant complaint. The major issue is that the story doesn’t stick the landing. There’s something that happens in the climax that just doesn’t feel right.
Overall, Don’t make me go is a solid feel-good dramedy with great performances and commendable direction. Many people will not like the ending, but if you can accept it you will probably enjoy the film. It may not be one of the best films of the year, but It is compelling enough to be a one-time watch.
Rating – 6.5/10
