Don't Make Me Go
By Andrea Beach,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Bittersweet road trip tale has brief nudity, some drinking.
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Don't Make Me Go
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What's the Story?
DON'T LET ME GO tells the story of a cross-country road trip Max (John Cho) takes with his 15-year-old daughter, Wally (Mia Isaac). Max tells Wally that they're going because Max wants to attend his 20-year college reunion, but Wally is pretty sure that's not the whole story. And Wally is not wrong. Unknown to Wally, Max also wants to track down Wally's mother, who left them when Wally was very young, so that the two can meet. What Wally also doesn't know is that Max has a very compelling reason for wanting the two to reconcile as soon as possible.
Is It Any Good?
This is a quiet drama that's both moving and funny about an emotional journey a father and daughter take together. Don't Make Me Go has some gaps in storytelling, and in understanding or believing the characters' motivations, but Cho as dad Max and Isaac as daughter Wally have some real chemistry together, and both turn in fine performances.
Its many twists and turns, flaws, and strengths will give families with mature teens who can handle the strong content a lot to talk about. It's a bittersweet affirmation of unending love between parent and child. Keep a tissue handy along the way.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the nudity in Don't Make Me Go. What's the difference between the nudity shown at the beach and showing sensitive parts in a sex scene? Is nudity OK in either of these examples? Why, or why not?
Is the teen drinking realistic? Is it normalized or glamorized? Are there consequences? Why does it matter?
What about the strong language? How much is OK in movies or other media vs. in real life?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming: July 15, 2022
- Cast: John Cho , Mia Isaac , Kaya Scodelario
- Director: Hannah Marks
- Inclusion Information: Asian actors, Female actors, Latino actors
- Studio: Amazon Studios
- Genre: Drama
- Topics: Adventures , Great Boy Role Models , Great Girl Role Models
- Character Strengths: Communication
- Run time: 109 minutes
- MPAA rating: R
- MPAA explanation: some sexual content, graphic nudity, language and teen drinking.
- Last updated: December 1, 2022
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