Don't Make Me Go review: A road trip dramedy marked by benign pathos and an anticlimactic end

Amazon Prime Video's Don't Make Me Go is a film you watch with composure and compassion. It makes you reflect and appreciate those around you, with a small yet nagging sense of poignancy about losing them at any point. This is the undercurrent of the Hannah Marks directorial.

The dramedy was written by Vera Herbert, also known for writing and producing This Is Us, another family-driven plot that is bound to tug at your heartstrings. Don't Make Me Go stars John Cho and Mia Isaac as the lead father-daughter duo who take a cross-country road trip which is imbued with humor and life lessons.

The film also features Kaya Scodelario, Josh Thomson, Otis Dhanji, Stefania LaVie Owen, Mitchell Hope, Jen Van Epps, and Jemaine Clement in various roles. It was released on Prime Video on July 15, 2022 after premiering at the Tribeca Film Festival on June 13, 2022.

Read on for a full review of the Amazon Studios production that is bound to leave you teary eyed.

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John Cho and Mia Isaac have a winning chemistry as father and daughter in Don't Make Me Go that drives the point home

Watching Cho and Isaac portray Max and Wally in Don't Make Me Go is no different from any real-life single dad acting possessive over his daughter. The naturality and ease that the two actors brought to their on-screen dynamic was commendable and helped the viewers become more invested in these characters.

The plot of the film is slow-paced and requires patience, but it doesn't cost too much to tune in to the sometimes humorous yet overshadowed by the pathos storyline as the lead actors captivate viewers with their performance.

While Cho manages to easily slip into the role of the possessive dad, Isaac shines through in her debut role. With her vivacious and slightly brattish temperament (Issac essays the role of a teenager), she balances out his restrictive and strict personality.

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The third act of Don't Make Me Go pulls the rug from under the viewers in its anticlimactic twist

The film begins with cautionary advice in Isaac's voice that says, "You're not gonna like the way this story ends, but I think you're going to like the story." It's almost like the film is unapologetic about it's intended direction.

When Max is diagnosed with bone cancer at the base of his brain, his only options are to spend his final year with his daughter Wally, cramming in decades of life advice and father-daughter moments, or to risk dying on the operating table within weeks. He chose the former and also decided to track down Wally's estranged mother, her only family left after his demise.

The father-daughter duo took a road trip across the States to New Orleans and then to Florida to find Wally's mother and get her acquainted. Right off the bat, Don't Make Me Go introduces a sense of poignancy which undercurrents all the rest of the joyous and heartfelt moments shared by the two until the third act.

Just before the anticlimactic twist, Wally and Max had a confrontation that flawlessly conveyed the individuality of a parent and how it's almost always overlooked by the dependent child. With Cho and Isaac's brilliant acting and theatrics, the scene was a tear-jerker and had viewers rooting for a happy ending.

Without revealing much, while some viewers might have seen the twist coming, those entranced by the build-up of Don't Make Me Go might have been left disappointed. Ultimately, the film ended up being about Cho's Max, the father, after seeming like it was majorly focused on the parent-child bond between Max and Wally. This makes sense since the script's first draft was originally titled A Story About My Father.

The film's unapologetic tone and self-assuredness extends to the climax when in another voiceover, Isaac narrates, "So maybe you're not sold on this story being okay. Whatever, that's up to you." But it's the last line that really leaves viewers feeling all kinds of strong emotions.

The parting words were, "See, dad? I know it's not all about me," which was a call back to the fight Max and Wally had where Max insinuated that his daughter made everything about her. If the message was that parents are individuals too and are allowed to have desires and a satisfactory life, that was a pretty awful way to convey the point, but it was definitely hard-hitting.

Overall, Don't Make Me Go is a very endearing dramedy that hits the right emotional notes, with John Cho and Mia Isaac being absolutely delightful in their roles. The film premiered on Amazon Prime Video on July 15, 2022 and is now available to watch.