Warning: Spoilers ahead!
If you’re like me you are absolutely obsessed with Florence Pugh. So when her newest movie, A Good Person, was announced, I knew I had to see it as soon as it came out. I even made time to go to the theater despite my busy college schedule and I am glad I did as this is perhaps Pugh’s best performance yet.
Written and directed by Zach Braff, A Good Person stars Pugh along with legends Morgan Freeman and Molly Shannon. The film follows Allison, a thriving young woman who is about to marry her fiancé, Nathan. However, her world is quickly torn down in the wake of a tragic accident, leaving her with an opioid addiction and unresolved grief and guilt. The film follows each step in Allison’s journey to sobriety. I appreciated how clearly the phases were depicted, each one pulling the audience in with her.
One of my favorite aspects of the film was the soundtrack. It is contemporary and simple, and sets the mood of this film on the line of heartfelt and heart wrenching. Florence Pugh herself even wrote a song for the film, “I Hate Myself.” The cinematography is pleasant as well with its rich colors and composition.
The highlight of the film definitely comes from its actors. In my opinion, Florence Pugh delivered one of the best performances of her career, as viewers can feel Allison’s profound pain through the screen. Morgan Freeman’s performance is also strong and complex and he plays Daniel’s inner conflict to a tee. Barring some cheesy dialogue, the actors are so good that they are able to overcome it and make these characters feel like real people. Their stories stayed with me long after the movie ended.
There was only a single moment in the movie that caught me off guard. Near the climax of the film, Freeman’s character Daniel, in a moment of rage, relapses with his alcohol addiction and pulls a gun on a young man at a party. While his frustration was warranted, Daniel’s rage and near violence felt like a complete 180° of his character. For a moment I was disappointed and confused by this scene. It felt like all of Daniel’s character development was thrown out the window, completely throwing off my impression of the movie. However, the more I sat on that moment, the more I realized that that may have been the point, driving home the message the movie gives us about addiction. Substance usage and addiction has the power to completely change a person, as discussed earlier in the film.
Ultimately, I believe this movie was a solid win for Zach Braff. It was moving and hard hitting and despite some odd moments, it redeemed itself every time. This was one of those movies who’s tone is sometimes hard to capture. Despite its depressing subject matter, the movie still was able to maintain levity.
Throughout this movie I laughed, cried and somehow came out of it feeling lighter than I had before. And perhaps the highest praise I can give it, I never once found myself wondering when it would be over. If you have the chance to see A Good Person, it is definitely worth the watch. I gave this movie ⅘ stars.