Quartile rating: 7.5/10 · 1 rating
A father and daughter live a perfect but mysterious existence in Forest Park, a beautiful nature reserve near Portland, Oregon, rarely making contact with the world. But when a small mistake tips them off to authorities, they are sent on an increasingly erratic journey in search of a place to call their own.
Leave No Trace is carried by two exceptional performances — Ben Foster and Thomasin McKenzie are both quietly devastating — and Debra Granik's intimate, observational direction yields some genuinely beautiful Pacific Northwest imagery. The film's strength is in texture and restraint rather than plot mechanics; the story is deliberately minimal, sometimes to a fault. Its novelty lies in tone and execution rather than conceptual originality — the survivalist/PTSD father-daughter premise is familiar, though Granik renders it with unusual delicacy. The ending is understated and emotionally honest but may feel inconclusive to some. Cinematography is a clear standout.