Leave No Trace

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2:34

Leave No Trace

PG

2018

1h 48m

Drama

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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.

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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.

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Claudia Puig

FilmWeek (LAist)

12/14/2019

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

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Sandra Hall

Sydney Morning Herald

09/14/2018

4/5

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

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Mark Kermode

Kermode & Mayo's Film Review

08/28/2018

I loved this film.

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Bianca Garner

Filmotomy

10/11/2024

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.

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JD Duran

InSession Film

08/07/2024

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.

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Brittany Patrice Witherspoon

Pop Culture Reviews

07/11/2024

4.5/5

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.

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John C

06/18/2022

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.

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Sean H.

@sean86 Dec 5

Overrated and I got bored several times.

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Lily C

Dec 2

Quite boring and slow. Not my cuppa.

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Ma D.

@thoughtleader1356 Nov 18

Healing comes from trust, nature and subtle gesture.

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AYESHA S

Nov 15

mid do not watch it.

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Cayden M

Nov 14

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.

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Leave No Trace: Trailer 1

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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

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