Don't Make Me Go (film)

{{Infobox film

| image = Don't Make Me Go.jpg

| caption = Official release poster

| alt =

| director = Hannah Marks

| producer = {{plainlist|

}}

| writer = Vera Herbert

| starring = {{Plainlist|

John Cho
Mia Isaac

}}

| music = Jessica Rose Weiss

| cinematography = Jaron Presant

| editing = Paul Frank

| studio = {{Plainlist|

Amazon Studios
De Line Pictures
Big Beach
Reunion Pacific Entertainment

}}

| distributor = Amazon Studios

| released = {{Film date|2022|6|13|Tribeca|2022|7|15|United States}}

| runtime = 109 minutes

| country = United States

| language = English

| budget = $15.1 million{{cite web |url=https://fastlaneng.louisianaeconomicdevelopment.com/public/search/ent |title=Fastlane NextGen: Initial Certification Search |website=Louisiana Economic Development |format=Type "Don't Make Me Go" in the search box |date= October 8, 2021 |access-date=February 17, 2023 |archive-date=June 15, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200615095911/https://fastlaneng.louisianaeconomicdevelopment.com/public/search/ent |url-status=live }}

| gross =

}}

Don't Make Me Go is a 2022 American road trip film directed by Hannah Marks, written by Vera Herbert, and starring John Cho and Mia Isaac. It premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival on June 13, 2022, and was released on Amazon Prime Video on July 15, 2022.{{cite news |last1=Ashton |first1=Will |title=Don't Make Me Go: Release Date Set for Emotional Father-Daughter Film Starring John Cho |url=https://collider.com/dont-make-me-go-release-date-john-cho-prime-video/ |access-date=26 May 2022 |publisher=Collider |date=20 April 2022 |archive-date=16 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220616125515/https://collider.com/dont-make-me-go-release-date-john-cho-prime-video/ |url-status=live }}

Plot

After discovering that he has a terminal disease, a single father takes his reluctant teenage daughter on a cross country road trip to find her estranged mother, as he tries to teach her everything she might need to know for the rest of her life along the way.

Cast

John Cho as Max Park
Mia Isaac as Wally Park
Kaya Scodelario as Annie
Josh Thomson as Guy Connelly
Otis Dhanji as Glenn
Stefania LaVie Owen as Sandra
Mitchell Hope as Rusty
Jen Van Epps as Nicole
Jemaine Clement as Dale Angelo
Hannah Marks as Tessa

Production

The script written by Vera Herbert was on the 2012 Black List of the most-liked unproduced screenplays in Hollywood. The first draft was dated June 8, 2012, and it was originally titled A Story About My Father.{{Cite web |last=Herbert |first=Vera |date=June 7, 2022 |title=Tomorrow is the TEN-YEAR ANNIVERSARY of the day I sent the first draft to my agents |url=https://twitter.com/veraherbert/status/1534212450785980417 |access-date=2022-06-09 |website=Twitter |language=en |archive-date=2022-06-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220609183559/https://twitter.com/veraherbert/status/1534212450785980417 |url-status=live }} On March 24, 2021, Amazon Studios signed on to develop the film, with Hannah Marks set to direct and Herbert writing and executive producing the film, with Donald De Line, Peter Saraf, and Leah Holzer producing.{{cite news|first=Dino-Ray|last=Ramos|title=Amazon Studios Boards Hannah Marks-Directed Dramedy Don't Make Me Go Starring John Cho|url=https://deadline.com/2021/03/amazon-studios-hannah-marks-dont-make-me-go-john-cho-1234720347/|date=March 24, 2021|publisher=Deadline Hollywood|access-date=December 17, 2021|archive-date=August 12, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220812230619/https://deadline.com/2021/03/amazon-studios-hannah-marks-dont-make-me-go-john-cho-1234720347/|url-status=live}}

On March 24, 2021, it was announced that John Cho had been cast in the film. On April 13, 2021, it was announced that Mia Isaac had joined the cast,{{cite news |last1=N'Duka |first1=Amanda |title=Mia Isaac Joins John Cho In 'Don't Make Me Go' From Director Hannah Marks & Amazon Studios |url=https://deadline.com/2021/04/mia-isaac-john-cho-dont-make-me-go-hannah-marks-amazon-studios-1234733444/ |access-date=27 May 2022 |publisher=Deadline |date=13 April 2021 |archive-date=27 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220527182602/https://deadline.com/2021/04/mia-isaac-john-cho-dont-make-me-go-hannah-marks-amazon-studios-1234733444/ |url-status=live }} and Kaya Scodelario joined the cast on August 13, 2021.{{cite news |last1=Wiseman |first1=Andreas |title='Resident Evil' Reboot Star Kaya Scodelario Joins Amazon Dramedy Don't Make Me Go |url=https://deadline.com/2021/08/resident-evil-reboot-kaya-scodelario-joins-amazon-movie-dont-make-me-go-1234814261/ |access-date=27 May 2022 |publisher=Deadline |date=13 August 2021 |archive-date=27 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220527182601/https://deadline.com/2021/08/resident-evil-reboot-kaya-scodelario-joins-amazon-movie-dont-make-me-go-1234814261/ |url-status=live }} The story was originally written for a White family, but the director, Hannah Marks felt that Cho was best suited for the role after seeing him in a previous father role in Searching. And after Isaac joined, Marks said, "We did adapt the script in certain areas to feel like it was customized to them."{{Cite web |date=2022-07-15 |title='Don't Make Me Go' Cast/Director on Telling a Universal Story about Parenthood and Grief |url=https://thenerdsofcolor.org/2022/07/15/dont-make-me-go-cast-and-director-on-telling-a-universal-story-about-parenthood-and-grief/ |access-date=2022-07-27 |website=The Nerds of Color |language=en-US |archive-date=2022-07-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220722003224/https://thenerdsofcolor.org/2022/07/15/dont-make-me-go-cast-and-director-on-telling-a-universal-story-about-parenthood-and-grief/ |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |last=Minow |first=Nell |date=July 19, 2022 |title=HANNAH MARKS on Shooting DON'T MAKE ME GO in New Zealand |url=https://awfj.org/blog/2022/07/19/hannah-marks-on-shooting-dont-make-me-go-in-new-zealand-nell-minow-interviews/ |access-date=2022-07-27 |website=Alliance of Women Film Journalists |language=en-US |archive-date=2022-07-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220722021255/https://awfj.org/blog/2022/07/19/hannah-marks-on-shooting-dont-make-me-go-in-new-zealand-nell-minow-interviews/ |url-status=live }}

Filming commenced in New Zealand in May 2021.

Release

The film premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival on June 13, 2022, and was released on Prime Video on July 15, 2022.

Reception

The film received mixed reviews from critics. Review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes rated it 53% based on 60 reviews with an average rating of 5.8/10. The critical consensus reads, "John Cho and Mia Isaac are an appealing pair of leads, but Don't Make Me Go is one road trip movie that follows an overly familiar path."{{cite web |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/dont_make_me_go |title=Don't Make Me Go |work=Rotten Tomatoes |access-date=16 July 2022 |archive-date=16 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220716021720/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/dont_make_me_go |url-status=live }}

Kate Erbland of IndieWire gave the film a B, calling it "a joy, heartbreaking and heartening in equal measure."{{cite news |last1=Erbland |first1=Kate |title='Don't Make Me Go' Review: John Cho and Mia Isaac Surprise in Father-Daughter Road Trip Dramedy |url=https://www.indiewire.com/2022/06/dont-make-me-go-review-john-cho-1234733306/ |access-date=22 June 2022 |publisher=Indiewire |date=13 June 2022 |archive-date=22 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220622193526/https://www.indiewire.com/2022/06/dont-make-me-go-review-john-cho-1234733306/ |url-status=live }} Angie Han of The Hollywood Reporter called it "a solidly likable drama, anchored by lovely, lived-in chemistry between John Cho and Mia Isaac as a father-daughter duo," but added that "a misguided third-act choice throws off its bittersweet vibe, leaving a distinctly sour aftertaste."{{cite news |last1=Han |first1=Angie |title='Don't Make Me Go': Film Review |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/dont-make-me-go-film-review-1235167017/ |access-date=22 June 2022 |publisher=The Hollywood Reporter |date=20 June 2022 |archive-date=21 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220621073928/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/dont-make-me-go-film-review-1235167017/ |url-status=live }} Michael Nordine of Variety also criticized the film's third act as "questionable."{{cite news |last1=Nordine |first1=Michael |title='Don't Make Me Go' Review: Heartfelt Road-Trip Drama Loses Its Way |url=https://variety.com/2022/film/reviews/dont-make-me-go-review-john-cho-1235293524/ |access-date=22 June 2022 |publisher=Variety |date=14 June 2022 |archive-date=21 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220621093953/https://variety.com/2022/film/reviews/dont-make-me-go-review-john-cho-1235293524/ |url-status=live }}