Don’t Make Me Go Review

PLOT: A single father discovers he may not have long to live after his doctor discovers a fatal brain tumor. In hopes to find family for his daughter, he decides to take her on a road trip to locate the mother that abandoned them years before.

REVIEW: John Cho is a terrific actor. I always enjoyed his work in comedies such as the American Pie franchise and the zany Harold and Kumar features. Yet his recent work has been even more compelling. He was fantastic in the thriller Searching. And now, he’s portraying another father in a crisis in the heartfelt new drama, Don’t Make Me Go. In it, he takes on the role of Max, a man who discovers he only has a short time to live due to a tumor. Things are even more complicated as the man is a single parent to a teenage daughter, played by Mia Isaac. The film revolves around a road trip the two take to locate her mother, the one who abandoned them years before. Directed by Hannah Marks, the film is a nice change of pace in the summer movie season.

Max Park (Cho) is a loving dad who, like most parents, has trouble connecting with his teenager. His daughter Wally (Isaac) is having her issues with pushy boyfriends and just being a teen. When Max learns that he has a tumor near his brain, he must figure out what to do for Wally. He decides that it is perhaps the right time to introduce her to the woman that abandoned them. Max convinces his daughter to come with him to his class reunion in hopes of running into his ex-wife. While things don’t go as planned, the unexpected journey begins to bring this father and daughter closer together.

The most impressive aspect of Don’t Make Me Go is John Cho and Mia Isaac. The two actors are perfect together, and it’s easy to believe in their familial relationship. Road trip movies about a rambunctious teen can lean towards the annoying, but both talents make the most of the dialogue. And considering the grim nature of the storyline, it’s nice to see such a celebration of fatherhood. I’d much rather see that than a downer of a film with lots of crying and tissues involved. It’s nice to see a bit of humor spread throughout, and the karaoke scene is a delight. And it’s a pleasure watching the natural charms of both Cho and Isaac and their terrific on-screen relationship.

The script by Vera Herbert is also quite good. Instead of focusing on the end, the screenplay focuses on the interactions between a father and his daughter. It’s sweet yet lacks the dramatic tension at times that pulls the viewer through. That said, had they explored Max’s treatment more heavily, it wouldn’t have been nearly this enjoyable. Finding a balance between melodrama and truthful human drama can be difficult, but the filmmakers do a good job. It all works in favor of making this an engagingly hopeful story. Even still, if you’ve ever lost a parent or a child, I’m sure this film will hit a bit harder for you. Thankfully, it does so without dwelling on the heartbreak of it all.

And while there is much to appreciate here, director Hannah Marks and writer Vera Herbert aren’t creating something unique and original. The effects of loss on a parent and sibling are not new ideas. And while the film follows a fairly predictable path, at least it does so with its heart on its sleeve. And even some dialogue sounds like you are watching a cheesy teen drama or movie of the week. Yet, for the most part, it all works well enough to create a story worth hearing.

Don’t Make Me Go is a sweet-natured drama with a massive heart. John Cho and Mia Isaac are terrific. Let’s face it, the rebellious teen thing can be infuriating in movies, but Isaac does a great job at making her sympathetic. It may not be the most original story, and we’ve seen many a road trip merged with a more serious subject matter before. Thankfully, the intentions and the talent manage to bring out the best. In a summer filled with big budget action movies, it’s nice to sit back and entertain in something that will give you the feels on occasion. Don’t Make Me Go will give you the feels, and it’s currently available on Prime.

John Cho

GOOD

7