“Don’t Make Me Go” (2022) is a drama film directed by Hannah Marks. The story revolves around a single father named Max (played by John Cho) and his teenage daughter Wally (played by Mia Isaac). When Max learns that he has a terminal illness, he decides to take Wally on a cross-country road trip to attend his 20th college reunion. However, his hidden agenda is to reunite Wally with her estranged mother, as he is concerned about who will care for her after he’s gone (IMDb).
The film explores the father-daughter relationship as they deal with the challenges of the trip and their personal issues. Max is also secretly trying to teach Wally life lessons and prepare her for the future without him. The journey is both a literal and figurative one as they navigate the complexities of their bond and the impending loss they face (IMDb).
The movie received mixed reviews, with some critics praising the performances of John Cho and Mia Isaac, while others felt the film followed an overly familiar path in the road trip movie genre (Rotten Tomatoes). Despite this, the film was noted for its emotional depth and the chemistry between the leads.
“Don’t Make Me Go” touches on themes of love, mortality, and letting go. It aims to portray the lengths a parent will go to ensure their child’s well-being, even when facing their own mortality. The film is available for streaming and can be found on platforms that offer it in their libraries.