Leave No Trace

Play trailer

2:34

Leave No Trace

PG

2018

1h 48m

Drama

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

100%

Tomatometer

248 Reviews

78%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

A father and daughter live a perfect but mysterious existence in Forest Park, a beautiful nature reserve near Portland, Ore., 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.

Watch on Fandango at Home

Stream Now

Critics Consensus

Leave No Trace takes an effectively low-key approach to a potentially sensationalistic story -- and further benefits from brilliant work by Ben Foster and Thomasin McKenzie.

Read Critics Reviews

Claudia Puig

FilmWeek (LAist)

[Director Debra Granik] focuses on the humanity of the characters without ever judging them.

Dec 14, 2019

Full Review

Sandra Hall

Sydney Morning Herald

Granik's star-making instincts are as sharp as ever.

Rated: 4/5

Sep 14, 2018

Full Review

Mark Kermode

Kermode & Mayo's Film Review

I loved this film.

Aug 28, 2018

Full Review

Bianca Garner

Filmotomy

The build-up to this climax is slow but is masterfully done without being too sentimental, and Granik seems to understand how to deliver an emotional moment without being manipulative.

Oct 11, 2024

Full Review

JD Duran

InSession Film

Foster and McKenzie not only give great individual performances, but their chemistry together is stunning and it made for an emotional experience that few movies matched in 2018.

Aug 7, 2024

Full Review

Brittany Patrice Witherspoon

Pop Culture Reviews

The beauty of it all is while the characters find any means necessary to erase their existence from the world, they will surely find a way to creep into and leave a trace in your heart.

Rated: 4.5/5

Jul 11, 2024

Full Review

Read all reviews

John C

AMC at Times Square had the wrong movie. I went to see a movie with Ben Foster, but they showed a Boys Scout documentary instead... It was interesting but it's not what I intended to go see or what was advertised.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

06/18/22

Full Review

AYESHA S

mid do not watch it.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

11/15/25

Full Review

Cayden M

When I watched Leave No Trace, I kept waiting for the moment when the movie would finally pull me in—but it never did. The minimalist, quiet approach that so many people praise just felt slow and empty to me. There were stretches where almost nothing happened, and instead of feeling thoughtful, it felt like the film was stalling, hoping atmosphere alone would carry it. Ben Foster is clearly a strong actor, but the script gives him so little to work with that I found his character more frustrating than intriguing. I never felt like I understood him, and not in a mysterious, compelling way—more in a "the movie isn’t giving me enough to care" kind of way. Thomasin McKenzie is good too, but the movie’s pacing is so glacial that her performance never got the emotional punch I was expecting. The conflicts are so subdued that I never felt real tension, and by the time something almost began to build, it fizzled out quietly. I know some people love subtle storytelling, but for me, it made the whole experience feel flat and distant. Even the gorgeous natural scenery couldn’t make up for a story that felt like it was drifting without purpose. By the time the credits rolled, I felt like I’d watched a much longer movie than I actually had. I can appreciate the craftsmanship, but emotionally, Leave No Trace kept me at arm’s length the entire time.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

11/14/25

Full Review

Vikram K

This movie really hits you hard. As Will deals with the issue, hats off to Tom for sticking with him for such a brief period of time. Also Will never kept Tom away from the development to mix the society. Loved the movie overall 😍😘

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/30/25

Full Review

sharjèel O

I mean it's just beautiful the greens and cinematography is on point overall I like it , if you wanna watch this movie try watching big 4k screen and i think you're gonna love it

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/12/25

Full Review

Ian A

the camera quality on this movie was dogshit and the sound quality is even worse the best part of this movie was the credits i genuinely wasted my money on this movie geniuenly ass DONT RECOMEND.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

08/24/25

Full Review

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

Debra Granik

Director

Ben Foster

Will

Thomasin McKenzie

Tom

Jeff Kober

Mr. Walters

Dale Dickey

Dale

Isaiah Stone

Isaiah

Change in the Air

14%

49%

Change in the Air

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Change in the Air

All Saints

95%

72%

All Saints

Watchlist

TRAILER

for All Saints

Overcomer

59%

98%

Overcomer

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Overcomer

Stevie

60%

70%

Stevie

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

Rotten Tomatoes Predicts the Oscar Winners

Rotten Tomatoes Predicts the Oscar Nominations!

Best-Reviewed Movies & TV Shows 2018

Leave No Trace: Trailer 1

2:34

View more videos

View more photos

Synopsis

A father and daughter live a perfect but mysterious existence in Forest Park, a beautiful nature reserve near Portland, Ore., 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.

Director: Debra Granik
Producer: Anne Harrison, Linda Reisman, Anne Rosellini
Screenwriter: Debra Granik, Anne Rosellini
Distributor: Bleecker Street Media
Production Co: Harrison Productions, Still Rolling Productions
Rating: PG (Thematic Material Throughout)
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jun 29, 2018, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 25, 2018
Box Office (Gross USA): $6.0M
Runtime: 1h 48m

Most Popular at Home Now