good on paper movie reviews

an image, when javascript is unavailable

‘Good on Paper’ Review: Iliza Shlesinger’s Bad Romance Makes for Funny Fodder in Netflix Rom-Com

A career-focused comic meets a seemingly perfect guy, but starts to suspect the joke’s on her in this smart, charming semi-autobiographical tale.

By Courtney Howard

Courtney Howard

‘The Girl in the Pool’ Review: Freddie Prinze Jr. Tries to Hide His Mistress’ Corpse in a Schlocky Thriller With More Laughs Than Suspense 3 weeks ago
‘Find Me Falling’ Review: Harry Connick Jr. Sings and Shines in Netflix’s Big Fat Greek Rom-Com 4 weeks ago
‘Touch’ Review: A Search for a Lost Love Makes for A Heartrending Romantic Affair to Remember 2 months ago

Skilled comedian Iliza Shlesinger is proving to be quite the formidable force for Netflix. After carrying a handful of raucous standup comedy specials, headlining an uproarious sketch show and popping up in supporting roles in “Spenser Confidential” and “Pieces of a Woman,” she returns to the streamer, ascending to leading lady status in her self-penned feature “ Good on Paper .”

The romantic comedy, loosely based on her real-life experiences as well as the standup routine that’s innovatively integrated throughout, is centered on a woman who begrudgingly decides to let down her guard when it comes to relationships, only to be confronted with a problematic guy who’s more slippery than safe. Containing razor-sharp witticisms about feminine intuition, gendered sexual politics and relationships (both platonic and romantic), it excels beyond its self-deprecating title.

Popular on Variety

A fateful flight brings hedge-fund manager Dennis ( Ryan Hansen ) into Andrea’s life. He’s not the usual type she finds herself attracted to, since he sports the stereotypical dorky hairdo, horn-rimmed glasses and tweed blazer. But he charms and disarms her nonetheless, engaging in non-threatening banter and helping her with a crossword puzzle. She invites him to her show that evening and the pair hit it off as friends. He seems to be a good guy, keeping up with her hectic schedule, meeting up with her at all hours and helping her achieve her acting ambitions. Things change when he proposes that they become romantically involved. She reluctantly accepts after some time. However, when Margot begins to grow suspicious of Dennis, Andrea can’t silence the nagging feeling he isn’t exactly the upright, forthcoming boyfriend he’s led her to believe.

Shlesinger’s screenplay plays it smart when it comes to Dennis’ deception, up until the inevitable third-act reveal which leaves little room for ambiguity. Director Kimmy Gatewood modulates tone adeptly during the first two-thirds of the picture so that we too question the red flags raised by the duplicitous character. They have fun toying with audience suspicion, much the way “So I Married an Axe Murderer” did, ramping up the inherent comedy of the protagonist and antagonist’s conundrums, while providing hints to the truth. Even before the hijinks and calamity ensue, we fall for the pair as a couple as they gallivant around Los Angeles, bonding and sharing formative memories. There’s a spiraling, outlandish absurdity to Dennis’ manipulative fibs, like seeing him weasel his way off a golf course after professing he was on an Ivy league team, or get out of arranging an introduction between Andrea and his allegedly cancer-stricken mother at his Beverly Hills home.

Hansen and Shlesinger have great chemistry together and individually tether us to their characters. The sharp-tongued comic is in full control of the spotlight, whether it’s performing her live routine spliced into the fictionalized portraiture, or engaging in cinematic catharsis as the leading lady in her own narrative. At once both self-deprecating and delightful, she’s a charismatic presence. Hansen’s own classic Californian good looks cloaked by the false veneer of bad hair and a preppy wardrobe hint at his character’s swindling scheme. He perfectly embodies a wolf in sheep’s clothing, walking a fine line between smarmy and sincere.

While the film offers enlightened commentary on the insidious nature of the lies we tell ourselves and others, its makers deliver a heartening sense of sisterhood without dipping into any cloying or overt sentimentality. Though a man provides the initial catalyst toward our heroine’s change, her maturation is achieved through her own agency. A healthy byproduct of Andrea’s increasingly souring romance is that she learns to be a better person to her female friends and to herself, and not to ignore her intuition. The genre’s standard “you lied to me” moment is integrated seamlessly into the shenanigans and takes on deepened meaning given the subject matter, while Andrea’s ensuing perceived betrayal feels genuinely earned.

Despite demonstrating ingenuity when it comes to flipping the script on tropes and genre trappings, a few sequences might have presented better as ideas in an outline than they do in execution. For example, when Andrea first catches Dennis in his lie that he rents an apartment alone, it stretches credulity that his spurned roommates don’t try to warn her then and there. That talk conveniently comes later on. Contrivances prevail late in the third act in order to get a clever call-back to a story thread involving a billboard Andrea hopes to buy with the spoils of her success.

Since audiences don’t typically expect to walk away learning any lessons from a light-hearted romp such as this, it’s an unexpected life-enhancement that we actually do. The gentle messaging that women should never cast aside their gut instincts when it comes to dating sticks around long after the credits roll. And that’s a concept that resonates even better on screen than on paper.

Reviewed online, Los Angeles, June 20, 2021. Rating: R. Running time: 93 MIN.

Production: A Netflix release of a Burn Later production, in association with Meridian Content, Atwater Capital. Producer: Paul Bernon, Sam Slater, Han West, David Bernon. Executive producers: Iliza Shlesinger, Sejin Croninger, Rowan Riley, Vania Schlogel
Crew: Director: Kimmy Gatewood. Screenplay: Iliza Shlesinger. Camera: Giles Dunning. Editor: Kyla Plewes. Music: Jonathan Sanford.
With: Iliza Shlesinger, Ryan Hansen, Margaret Cho, Rebecca Rittenhouse.

More from Variety

Billie eilish, snoop dogg and red hot chili peppers to perform at summer olympics closing ceremony (exclusive), hollywood must define ai technical standards to prep for its future , imane khelif wins olympic boxing gold medal, triumphs over battles both in and out of the ring, x suspends, then reinstates, ‘white dudes for harris’ account after group raises $4 million for her campaign: ‘we scared elon musk’, ‘skibidi toilet’: flushing out audience data on an internet phenomenon, donald trump returns to posting on x/twitter after year-long break ahead of elon musk interview, more from our brands, katy perry ‘adhered to all regulations’ while filming at dunes in spain, says team, clint eastwood’s onetime seaside retreat in california is up for grabs at $21 million, ‘caitlin clark effect’ hits bottom line in indiana fever finance report, the best loofahs and body scrubbers, according to dermatologists, who wants to be a millionaire: ike barinholtz wins $1 million jackpot — watch.

Action/Adventure
Children's/Family
Documentary/Reality
Amazon Prime Video

More From Decider

'WWHL': Bowen Yang Says One Terrible 'SNL' Host Once Made "Multiple Cast...

Peacock's Gary Coleman Doc Questions The Late Child Actor's "Suspicious"...

Where Is Kelly Ripa? 'Live' Co-Host Missing From Today's Episode

11 Best New Movies on Netflix: August 2024's Freshest Films to Watch

'Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles' Star Josh Flagg Gives Update On His...

Kora's Scars in the 'Rebel Moon: Director's Cut' Sex Scenes Were Sofia...

11 Best New Shows on Netflix: August 2024's Top Upcoming Series to Watch

'RHONJ' Fans Slam Teresa Giudice's "Cruel" Husband Louie Ruelas For...

Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Good on Paper’ On Netflix, A Semi-Autobiographical Anti-Rom-Com Written By & Starring Iliza Shlesinger

Where to stream:.

Good on Paper
Stream It Or Skip It

Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Daughters’ on Netflix, a Tearjerking Portrait of Daughters and Their Incarcerated Fathers

Stream it or skip it: 'bad monkey' on apple tv+, where vince vaughn is an ex-police detective who investigates a murder in the florida keys, stream it or skip it: ‘the commandant’s shadow’ on max, an extraordinary documentary about the lingering fallout from auschwitz, stream it or skip it: ‘lobola man’ on netflix, a breezy, easy rom-com from south africa.

A few lies in a rom-com aren’t unheard of; favorites like 10 Things I Hate About You , While You Were Sleeping , Never Been Kissed , and You’ve Got Mail all feature a fib or two, but they all see our couples come clean and give in to the power of love. In Good on Paper , now streaming on Netflix, however, the lies might be a little too big for our central couple to ever get their happily ever after.

GOOD ON PAPER : STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

The Gist: Andrea Singer (Iliza Shlesinger) has it pretty good. She’s a moderately successful comedian with steady gigs, but she dreams of breaking through into the scripted world – a dream that her rival Serrena Halstead (Rebecca Rittenhouse) seems to have achieved without much effort at all. (She’s even got her face on a billboard). After another failed audition, she winds up next to a man Dennis Kelly (Ryan Hansen) on her flight back to LA. A Yale graduate who works in hedge funds, Dennis comes from a different world – but he seems kind and funny, putting Andrea at ease.

While Andrea is initially determined to keep things in the friend zone, she agrees to be Dennis’s girlfriend after a booze-and-mushrooms fueled night out. She allows herself to be happy, even if she feels like she’s settling for someone she’s not particularly attracted to, and ignores the red flags her friend Margot (Margaret Cho) calls her attention to. A few more strange incidents and suspicious stories later, Andrea realizes that Dennis may indeed be too good to be true after all.

What Movies Will It Remind You Of?: Good on Paper definitely falls into the category of ‘anti rom-coms’ like My Best Friend’s Wedding , Chasing Amy , and (500) Days of Summer , though tonally it veers towards A Simple Favor at some moments and B-tier comedies at others.

Performance Worth Watching: Ryan Hansen, usually so charming, delivers a top-notch secret sleazeball performance here, playing against type in a genuinely compelling manner. With the help of those veneers, that side part, and, well, the whole thing going on here, Hansen really makes Dennis the perfect con man, one not nearly charming enough to achieve all he does but whose everyman appeal drives the whole thing home. I felt myself physically recoiling at his performance on occasion, because we all know some version of Dennis. Hansen should be in more stuff. (Margaret Cho also steals allllll of her scenes as Margot, Andrea’s ride-or-die BFF).

Memorable Dialogue: There were some great little biting one-liners sprinkled throughout Good on Paper , but Margaret Cho’s delivery of “Don’t say it’s feminism just because you’re doing something I don’t agree with!” is my favorite.

Sex and Skin: There’s some talk of sex and some making out, but things fade to black before there’s any real action.

Our Take: Iliza Shlesinger has become something of a mainstay for Netflix; with a handful of standup specials like War Paint , Confirmed Kills , and Unveiled , she’s proven to be a force time and time again. Now, she’s penned her own feature-length flick, based on a lying ex-boyfriend from her past. Shlesinger is utterly charming as this dramatized version of herself, carrying Good on Paper with ease (even when the film itself is struggling). Clocking in at a lean 92 minutes, Good on Paper flies by, sweeping us off our feet with its whirlwind romance and knocking us out of the fantasy all as quickly. What I like most about the flick is that Dennis isn’t some dreamboat; he’s the man so many of us are tricked into falling for, the unpretentious nice guy who makes you feel safe and special. And Andrea isn’t charmed by him from the get go; it takes time for her to give in and open herself up to this relationship, and when she finally does, it’s too late to go back. She’s bought into the lie, even though he’s essentially wearing a suit made of red flags.

GOOD ON PAPER (2021) Ryan Hansen as Dennis Kelly and Iliza Schlesinger as Andrea Singer.

'Good on Paper’ True Story: Iliza Shlesinger’s Dating Horror Story Inspired the Netflix Movie

Our Call: STREAM IT. Good on Paper may not master every theme it tries to tackle, but a solid premise and Shlesinger and Hansen’s unconventional chemistry make it more than worth your while.

Should you stream or skip the Iliza Shlesinger anti-rom-com #GoodOnPaper on @netflix ? #SIOSI — Decider (@decider) June 24, 2021

Jade Budowski is a freelance writer with a knack for ruining punchlines, hogging the mic at karaoke, and thirst-tweeting. Follow her on Twitter: @jadebudowski .

Stream Good on Paper on Netflix

Iliza Shlesinger

Andy Cohen Implies That He Never Wants To See Or Hear From Bethenny Frankel Again On 'WWHL'

Does 'Yellowstone' Return Tonight? 'Yellowstone's Season 5, Part 2 Premiere Date, 'The Madison' Spin-off Updates, And More

Where's Kelly Ripa This Week? 'Live' Co-Host's Absence Stretches Into Week Two

Is 'The View' Going Off The Air?

'The View's Whoopi Goldberg Snaps At Joy Behar While Defending Harrison Butker's Controversial Commencement Speech: "Stop That!"

'Twisters' Comes to Digital, But When Will 'Twisters' Be Streaming on Peacock?

Good on Paper (2021)

User Reviews
is this guy really what he pretends to be?

Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews

User Ratings
External Reviews
Metacritic Reviews
Full Cast and Crew
Release Dates
Official Sites
Company Credits
Filming & Production
Technical Specs
Plot Summary
Plot Keywords
Parents Guide

Did You Know?

Crazy Credits
Alternate Versions
Connections
Soundtracks

Photo & Video

Photo Gallery
Trailers and Videos

Log in or sign up for Rotten Tomatoes

Trouble logging in?

By continuing, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes.

Email not verified

Let's keep in touch.

Sign up for the Rotten Tomatoes newsletter to get weekly updates on:

Upcoming Movies and TV shows
Rotten Tomatoes Podcast
Media News + More

By clicking "Sign Me Up," you are agreeing to receive occasional emails and communications from Fandango Media (Fandango, Vudu, and Rotten Tomatoes) and consenting to Fandango's Privacy Policy and Terms and Policies . Please allow 10 business days for your account to reflect your preferences.

OK, got it!

What's the Tomatometer®?
Login/signup

Movies in theaters

Opening this week
Top box office
Coming soon to theaters
Certified fresh movies

Movies at home

Fandango at Home
Prime Video
Most popular streaming movies
What to Watch New

Certified fresh picks

83% Alien: Romulus Link to Alien: Romulus
77% Cuckoo Link to Cuckoo
97% Good One Link to Good One

New TV Tonight

96% Industry: Season 3
91% Bad Monkey: Season 1
100% Solar Opposites: Season 5
-- Emily in Paris: Season 4
-- Bel-Air: Season 3
-- Rick and Morty: The Anime: Season 1
-- SEAL Team: Season 7
-- RuPaul's Drag Race Global All Stars: Season 1
-- Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures: Season 2
-- Worst Ex Ever: Season 1

Good on Paper Reviews

Nothing about the film feels natural or believable.

Full Review | Aug 22, 2023

Good on Paper has its funny moments with some decent stand-up comedy, but overall is a pretty dumb and convoluted watch that believes itself to be wittier than it is.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Aug 6, 2023

Despite an undercooked third act and some long stretches of unfunny riffs, Good on Paper finds a way to keep you engaged throughout the film’s 90-minute runtime.

Full Review | Original Score: 7/10 | Jan 22, 2023

By the end it’s really hard to buy into anything “Good on Paper” is selling. Outside of the first 30 minutes, nothing about the film feels remotely authentic from its flaky characters to the unconvincing relationships.

Full Review | Original Score: 1.5/5 | Aug 17, 2022

Good on Paper may have a standard set-up, but writer-star Iliza Shlesinger quickly reinvigorates this regular romcom plot with her signature style and comedic stylings.

Full Review | Original Score: 7/10 | Jul 14, 2022

...begins to wear out its welcome to an aggressive degree...

Full Review | Original Score: 2/4 | Aug 8, 2021

As an "anti-rom-com," hijacking the genre's rhythms without adhering to the rules of the game, Good on Paper is fine. As a satire of showbiz vapidity, it's decent. It's not nearly as subversive as you want it to be.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Aug 2, 2021

Good On Paper has some things going for it, but it falls into a classic, cardinal sin of film promotion: the trailer gives too much away. In fact, it gives away everything.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Jul 24, 2021

Iliza Shlesinger and Margaret Cho make a very funny duo, and while this collaboration isn't great cinema, it's an amusing and well-paced hour and half of entertainment.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Jul 15, 2021

I'd recommend giving this film a try if you're able to manage your expectations. However, don't watch it if you're expecting a typical rom-com.

Full Review | Jul 2, 2021

[The film] is hemmed in by the constraints of its own genre, committing more to milking a few laughs than crafting any meaningful commentary on dating in the golden age of grifters.

Good on Paper earns its title, a decent idea whose execution doesn't measure up...a clumsy and intermittently watchable film, one that squanders a great deal of potential.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Jun 30, 2021

The storyline is unpersuasive (although it's said to be based on Shlesinger's experiences), but the film's loose, chatty style - under Kimmy Gatewood's direction - is pleasant enough in a typical indie-comedy way.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Jun 28, 2021

Shlesinger makes an engaging lead, charismatic and thought-provoking if not often laugh-out-loud funny.

Iliza Shlesinger and Margaret Cho on screen together is a winning combination. Unfortunately, more is needed to make Good on Paper succeed as an anti rom-com.

Full Review | Original Score: 6/10 | Jun 28, 2021

Iliza Schlesinger takes a familiar premise and spins it with stand-up comedy reminding girls sometimes what is good on paper is a hot buttered mess waiting to be exposed

Full Review | Jun 26, 2021

Absolutely no one in Good on Paper seems to believe any of the words they're saying.

Full Review | Original Score: 1/4 | Jun 26, 2021

I couldn't help but wonder if this story would actually work better as a short stand up story instead of being stretched to a 90 minute movie.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/5 | Jun 25, 2021

It plays like a long TV sitcom pilot, an only modestly promising one.

Full Review | Original Score: 1.5/4 | Jun 25, 2021

While it's not necessarily a shocking arc ... [it's] both a twist and, in many ways, refreshing for any romcom-adjacent genre.

Full Review | Original Score: 7/10 | Jun 25, 2021

Common Sense Media

Movie & TV reviews for parents

For Parents
For Educators
Our Work and Impact

Or browse by category:

Get the app
Movie Reviews
Best Movie Lists
Best Movies on Netflix, Disney+, and More

Common Sense Selections for Movies

50 Modern Movies All Kids Should Watch Before They're 12

Best TV Lists
Best TV Shows on Netflix, Disney+, and More
Common Sense Selections for TV
Video Reviews of TV Shows

Best Kids' Shows on Disney+

Best Kids' TV Shows on Netflix

Book Reviews
Best Book Lists
Common Sense Selections for Books

8 Tips for Getting Kids Hooked on Books

50 Books All Kids Should Read Before They're 12

Game Reviews
Best Game Lists

Common Sense Selections for Games

Video Reviews of Games

Nintendo Switch Games for Family Fun

Podcast Reviews
Best Podcast Lists

Common Sense Selections for Podcasts

Parents' Guide to Podcasts

App Reviews
Best App Lists

Social Networking for Teens

Gun-Free Action Game Apps

Reviews for AI Apps and Tools

YouTube Channel Reviews
YouTube Kids Channels by Topic

Parents' Ultimate Guide to YouTube Kids

How to Prepare Your Kids for School After a Summer of Screen Time

Family Tech Planners
Digital Skills
All Articles
Latino Culture
Black Voices
Asian Stories
Native Narratives
LGBTQ+ Pride
Best of Diverse Representation List

Multicultural Books

YouTube Channels with Diverse Representations

Podcasts with Diverse Characters and Stories

Good on paper, common sense media reviewers.

Amusing relationship comedy has lots of drinking, language.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Women should be granted the same rights and judged

Andrea is smart, funny, and kind. She's also consu

A man's side is accidentally caught in a door and

More sex talk than actual visual content. In one s

Variations on "s--t" and "f--k." "Goddammit," "hel

Brands noticeably seen or discussed include iPhone

Adults get drunk repeatedly in various settings. I

Positive Messages

Women should be granted the same rights and judged by the same standards as men. Dishonesty hurts people, as does jealousy. Trust your instincts.

Positive Role Models

Andrea is smart, funny, and kind. She's also consumed with jealousy of another woman whose acting career has gone better than her own. Dennis lies to cover up his own insecurities and lack of pedigree. Adults are impressed with wealth. Women support each other. Some diversity in cast.

Violence & Scariness

A man's side is accidentally caught in a door and skin is torn off. A woman tries to "cauterize the wound" by pouring alcohol on it and setting it on fire. A man gets drunk, vomits, and falls down in an alley.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

More sex talk than actual visual content. In one scene, a couple are lying in bed together partially clothed, and she climbs on top of the man and kisses him. We see a naked man's behind in another scene. A couple makes out on the dance floor. There's talk of "missionary," being "hot," "penis," "eat a d--k," hitting on people, being physically attracted or not to someone, and forcing someone to "f--k a goat."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Variations on "s--t" and "f--k." "Goddammit," "hell," "a--hole," "bitch," "penis," "d--k," "butthole," "pee," "psycho," "creep," "stupid," "brat," "Oh my God."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

Brands noticeably seen or discussed include iPhone, Instagram, Facebook, Reddit, Craigslist, Uber, Mercedes, Cartier, Vans, Everclear, JC Penney, Yale.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Adults get drunk repeatedly in various settings. In one case, a man drinks too much and vomits then passes out. A man is said to be a "low-key functioning alcoholic." Two people take mushrooms. A woman smokes a cigarette.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Good on Paper is a relationship comedy with mature themes and language aimed at an adult audience. The concept of relationships between 30-somethings dissatisfied with their lives or careers likely won't resonate with younger viewers anyway. There's a lot of alcohol consumption in this film and, in one case, a man said to be a "low-key functioning alcoholic" drinks too much, vomits, and passes out. Two people take mushrooms and go out dancing, and a woman smokes a cigarette in one scene. There's also sexual content, though more in dialogues than actual visuals. A scene shows a woman rolling over on top of a man when they wake up in bed together partially dressed. Couples kiss and make out. A man's naked body is seen from behind, and his physical attractiveness (or lack thereof) is discussed in detail while he's wearing a bathing suit. There's talk of "missionary," "hot," "penis," "eat a d--k," hitting on people, and forcing someone to "f--k a goat." Other language includes variations on "f--k" and "s--t," "goddammit," "hell," "a--hole," "bitch," "penis," "d--k," "butthole," "pee," "psycho," "creep," "stupid," "brat," and "Oh my God." In one scene, a man's side is accidentally caught in a door and his skin is torn off. A woman tries to "cauterize the wound" by pouring alcohol on it and setting it on fire. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

Where to Watch

Videos and photos.

Community Reviews

Parents say
Kids say (1)

There aren't any parent reviews yet. Be the first to review this title.

What's the Story?

When 34-year-old Andrea ( Iliza Shlesinger) , a stand-up comedian and aspiring actress, meets Dennis ( Ryan Hansen ) on an airplane at the start of GOOD ON PAPER, sparks don't fly. But Dennis persists, and he does indeed look good on paper -- he says he went to Yale and works as a hedge fund manager. Despite his somewhat unexciting appearances and demeanor, which Andrea doesn't find attractive at first, he's smart and kind and eventually wins Andrea over as a friend and later boyfriend. But Andrea's best friend Margot ( Margaret Cho ) has her doubts, and she pushes Andrea to question some of the inconsistencies of Dennis's story.

Is It Any Good?

Iliza Shlesinger and Margaret Cho make a very funny duo, and while this collaboration isn't great cinema, it's an amusing and well-paced hour and half of entertainment. The few laugh-out-loud scenes in Good on Paper involve the pair together -- an over-prepared stake-out and a misguided interrogation come to mind. The film flashes every now and then, Seinfeld -esque, to Shlesinger doing stand-up routines related to the movie's storyline, which we're told is "a mostly true story." These inserts could have fallen flat or pulled the viewer too far out of the action of the story, but since she's playing a stand-up comic and the routines are part of her character's story, it works.

In the film, the comedian's act revolves around questioning gender roles: Why when women do certain things are they judged so much more harshly than men? The inserts are funny especially in the context of the story being told. A final sequence involving a courtroom battle feels out of tone for the rest of the film. Ryan Hansen captures just the right mix of weird and harmless to make his character believable and only slightly creepy, keeping things from getting dark. Beyond the devious beau, it's a good bet that some of what Shlesinger's comic deals with in Good on Paper -- like a drunk "bro" telling her she's funny "for a girl" and the jealousies and struggles of forging a career in the entertainment industry -- are also "a mostly true story."

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about the inclusion of stand-up comedy routines in Good on Paper . Have you seen this done in other series or movies? Do you like their addition? Why or why not?

The adults in this film, all in their 30s, seem to feel insecure or dissatisfied for a variety of reasons. Why? How does this affect them? How do you think a person can avoid this?

How is drinking alcohol portrayed in this movie? Does the drinking pose a problem in any of the characters' lives? How so?

Movie Details

On DVD or streaming : June 23, 2021
Cast : Iliza Shlesinger , Ryan Hansen , Margaret Cho
Director : Kimmy Gatewood
Inclusion Information : Female directors, Female actors, Bisexual actors, Asian actors
Studio : Netflix
Genre : Comedy
Topics : Friendship
Run time : 92 minutes
MPAA rating : R
MPAA explanation : language throughout, sexual references, and brief drug use and nudity
Last updated : February 17, 2023

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Suggest an Update

Our editors recommend.

Truth & Iliza

Want personalized picks for your kids' age and interests?

I Feel Pretty

Best Family Comedy Movies

Best classic comedy films, related topics.

Want suggestions based on your streaming services? Get personalized recommendations

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

‘Good on Paper’: When Dream Guys Turn Into Nightmares

By David Fear

Boy meets Girl. Boy and Girl fall in love. Well, OK, hold up, let’s rewind: Girl just wants to be friends — not attracted to Boy, if she’s being 100-percent honest — but, to Boy’s credit, he offers moral support when it comes to her auditions, and gets along with Girl’s friends. Boy is, like, always around! And he listens to her. And is a lot nicer than the blandly hot, interchangeable L.A. dudes Girl usually hooks up with. So what if Boy is kind of dweeby, and isn’t in the best of shape, and, according to Girl, “looks like an accountant who enjoys missionary.” He could be the one for her. Let’s hear it for the Boy!

Except … Boy exhibits some warning signs. He name-drops Yale within seconds of meeting her, but can’t remember what constituent school he was in. His supermodel girlfriend always conveniently cancels plans with him at crucial moments. The guy drinks like a school of fish, and is extremely evasive when it comes to little details like his hedge-fund job, his family, where he lives. It’s freakin’ Red Flag Central over here. I mean, you can’t really blame Girl and her Suspicious, Cool Lesbian Bar-Owner Best Friend for wanting to figure out exactly what the hell is going on here, right?

If he’s too good to be true, etc., etc.: Good on Paper (now on Netflix) sets up its from-candlelight-to-gaslight love story around this old chestnut and quickly tries to mine every aspect of when dream guys become nightmares for laughs. It’s less a cautionary-tale romantic comedy, however, than a showcase for its writer and star Iliza Shlesinger, which turns out to be more of a feature than a bug. A Texas-raised stand-up, Shlesinger is the sort of kinetic stage performer that doesn’t prowl stages so much as territorially mark them; her timing is impeccable, her routines have a tendency to make hack topics feel tinged with danger, and she’s unafraid to act like a goon to goose a punchline. (Or to substitute for a lack of one — see her “party goblin” bit from 2016’s Confirmed Kills, in which a hunched gait, a growl, and an unleashed id become a singular piece of physical comedy unto itself.)

Editor’s picks

Every awful thing trump has promised to do in a second term, the 250 greatest guitarists of all time, the 500 greatest albums of all time, the 50 worst decisions in movie history.

She has five specials and a Netflix sketch show to her name, as well as a few scattered supporting roles here and there. That’s Shlesinger screaming at Mark Wahlberg before screwing him against a bathroom sink in Spencer Confidential (do not hold this clichéd-angry-girlfriend against her), and that’s Shlesinger as Vanessa Kirby’s concerned sister in the devastating drama Pieces of a Woman (do admire her for subtly fleshing out what could have been little more than a background-extra part). If you knew her work as a comic, you felt like her acting gigs were side hustles in between killer hour-long sets. At the very least, Good on Paper dispels any notion that she couldn’t carry a film — the same blinding-light charisma Shlesinger has in spades onstage finally gets some screen time.

Playing a stand-up named Andrea Singer, her character is fueled by a write-what-you-know sensibility. You assume that some of the club shots and touring clips in the introductory montage are culled from actual roadwork. From what we see of Andrea’s headliner spiels, they would fit nicely into a Shlesinger tight five for a late-night talk show appearance. The frustration she feels from being passed up for jobs, and the envy Andrea feels that a younger, “prettier” blonde actress is getting all the breaks and Sunset Strip billboards, probably comes from a personal place as well. Hooray for Hollywood?

And, per Shlesinger herself , the story of a young woman being taken in by a romantic grifter is based on an actual dating experience the comic had a number of years back. As played by Ryan Hansen — taking a break from the surfer-boy douche-bro niche he colonized on Veronica Mars and Party Down — this beta male named Dennis doesn’t sweep Andre off her feet so much as slowly insinuate himself into her sphere, chipping away at her with ingratiating acts of piety or by inspiring a sense of pity. He’s just attuned enough to Andrea’s needs and moods to seem like an ideal match, and just clueless enough about his looks and what’s hip to seem harmless. Even when the lies start to pile up, Andrea is in denial: No way this guy would he be able to pull off a long con like that, and no way would I ever be taken in by such a clumsy nice-guy honey trap. He is able. She does fall for it.

The one voice of reason here is Margo, Andrea’s best friend and bartender sidekick played by Margaret Cho, and the longer you watch Shlesinger’s lemonade-from-sour-lemons reclamation of this traumatic romantic faux pas, the more you realize she hasn’t just written her own ticket with this film. She’s also reintroduced Cho to viewers, who should be eternally grateful. Unleashing a litany of wide-eyed reaction shots, hyped-up rants, horndog thirstiness, high-flying kicks, and wary asides, the veteran comedian jolts everything around; you’d accuse her of stealing the movie if it weren’t for the fact that her bite complements Schlesinger’s neurotic, fuck-you-lookin’-at, wiseass bark so wonderfully.

Gena Rowlands, 'The Notebook' Star and Renowned Actress, Dead at 94

By Charisma Madarang

Kevin Hart Details 2017 Sex Tape Scandal in Newly Released Interview

Courts and Crime
By Jon Blistein

'American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez' to Dramatize Football Player's Fall From Glory

By Kory Grow

‘Alien: Romulus’ Is an Amusement-Park Ride Based on a Movie

MOVIE REVIEW

'Ed, Don’t Die': Sofia Vergara Wants a 'Modern Family' Reboot

Staying Alive
By Kalia Richardson

Most Popular

Robert downey jr. turned down iron man cameo in 'deadpool & wolverine' after reading scene; writers also had an idea to bring the six original avengers back, ‘alien: romulus’: first reactions after the premiere, kate middleton & prince william’s surprise appearance shows william’s drastic hair transformation, marcus jordan, michael jordan's son, appears to sniff white substance in new photos, you might also like, ‘rrr’ star ntr jr starts film by ‘k.g.f.’ director prashanth neel – global bulletin, dolly parton talks rhinestones, lipstick launch and country girls who ‘dream of glamour’, the best yoga mats for any practice, according to instructors, gena rowlands, who created the blueprint for the modern independent film star, dead at 94, ‘caitlin clark effect’ hits bottom line in indiana fever finance report.

site categories

Winsome sinclair dies: veteran casting pro on ‘the best man’, ‘amistad’ & a dozen spike lee films was 58, ‘good on paper’ review: iliza shlesinger turns her dating nightmare into smart comedy – until it goes off the rails.

By Pete Hammond

Pete Hammond

Awards Columnist/Chief Film Critic

Busan Story Market Unveils 29 Korean IP Selections

'The Royals' will star Ishaan Khatter and Bhumi Pednekar.

Netflix's 'The Royals' To Star Ishaan Khatter And Bhumi Pednekar

Watch on Deadline

It is also easy to see why Netflix is eager to be in the Shlesinger business as she has done five highly successful comedy specials, appeared in supporting roles in other films on the streamer and has a rabid base of followers. I find it also nice that she has thrown herself into this particular story with such gusto that it seems like therapy just to put it out there. The idea itself is definitely good on paper and works good on screen for the most part, as long it stays close to her truth.

Shlesinger plays Andrea Singer, a thinly disguised version of herself as a stand-up comic frustrated that she is not getting the acting roles and TV opportunities she thinks she deserves, especially against rival Serena (a funny Rebecca Rittenhouse). After yet another failed audition, she meets a nebbishy guy named Dennis (Ryan Hansen) in the airport. Coincidentally (?) he winds up seated next to her on the plane, where he reveals he is a hedge fund manager and went to Yale. Although she thinks he is kind of a nerd, she politely invites him to see her do her act anytime — an offer he takes her up on.

She is as frustrated in personal relationships as she is in her career, but they become friends, and eventually she is seduced into more as he becomes her boyfriend. It is only then that she senses something odd about who he says he is, and with the urging of her best friend Margot (Margaret Cho), who doesn’t trust him one bit, they set out on an investigation and discover he has been telling more than a few lies. Shlesinger swears the great majority of the film is the absolute truth, and clearly it is sweet revenge for the star at this point to use her unfortunate time with this guy as grist for the comedy mill.

Shlesinger is a genuine talent and audiences love her, so they likely will lap this all up. She proves she can write smart comic scenes and delivers a sharp entertainment until it jumps the shark a bit. It would have been nice if she stuck to the actual details and kept it real. Nevertheless, she is a nice screen presence, and I really like the way director Kimmy Gatewood weaves her actual stand-up routines into the plotline as kind of a Greek chorus. If Netflix is smart, it might look at Good on Paper as a pilot for a series.

With the fun Dead to Me entering its final season , a Shlesinger sitcom where she is teamed with the wonderful Cho as they navigate their romantic lives (Cho’s Margot with women and Shlesinger’s Andrea with men) and their careers. Shlesinger even looks uncannily like Dead to Me star Christina Applegate. Or it could be a modern-style version of Marlo Thomas’ ’60s sitcom That Girl, in which her personal life collides with her showbiz ambitions. Sounds “good on paper,” at least. She definitely has the chops.

Producers are Han West, David Bernon, Paul Bernon and Sam Slater. It begins streaming tomorrow. Check out my video review with scenes from the film at the link above.

Do you plan to see Good on Paper? Let us know what you think.

Must Read Stories

Kim kardashian inks first-look 20th tv deal, preps kenya barris-la la anthony hulu series.

‘John Lewis: Good Trouble’ Director Dawn Porter Producing High-Profile DNC Pic

Set for $75m global debut; fede álvarez chat; deadline’s review, justin baldoni hires crisis pr veteran as rumor mill swirls about on-set rift, read more about:, subscribe to deadline.

Get our Breaking News Alerts and Keep your inbox happy.

Good on Paper

August 8, 2021 David Nusair G , Streaming 0

Directed by Kimmy Gatewood, Good on Paper follows Iliza Shlesinger’s Andrea as she meets and befriends Ryan Hansen’s affable Dennis but eventually questions how much of his nice-guy exterior is just a facade. There’s little doubt that Good on Paper fares best in its innocuous yet entertaining opening stretch, as Shlesinger’s easygoing, relatively charming presence is heightened by her obvious chemistry with her handsome costar. (This is despite the fact that Hansen sports fake teeth that remain a total distraction from start to finish.) It’s consequently fairly easy to overlook the picture’s proliferation of less-than-impressive attributes, including Gatewood’s impossibly bland direction and a recurring emphasis on eye-rollingly obvious bits of comedy (eg Dennis’ unreasonably wacky roommates), and yet there eventually (and perhaps inevitably) reaches a point at which Good on Paper begins to wear out its welcome to an aggressive degree – with the movie’s downfall triggered by an erratic and mostly silly midsection that slowly-but-surely drains the proceedings of its charm and energy. By the time the film arrives at its palpably desperate third act, which features a curiously (and pointlessly) graphic burst of violence, Good on Paper has undoubtedly cemented its place as a wildly unfocused comedy that squanders an unexpectedly appealing first half and lead performance.

** out of ****

Iliza Shlesinger

Good on Paper Movie

After years of putting her career ahead of love, stand-up comic Andrea Singer has stumbled upon the perfect guy. On paper, he checks all the boxes but is he everything he appears to be?

Who's Involved:

Iliza Shlesinger, Ryan Hansen, Margaret Cho, Kimmy Gatewood, Rebecca Rittenhouse

Release Date:

Wednesday, June 23, 2021 Netflix

Plot: What's the story about?

Andrea Singer always put her stand-up career first, and while dating came easy, love wasn't a priority... that is until she meets Dennis, a quirky nerd with disarming charm who coaxes her into letting her guard down. Her best friend Margot isn’t convinced he’s all he seems and she urges Andrea to embark on a wild goose chase to uncover who Dennis really is.

official plot version

2.67 / 5 stars ( 3 users)

Poll: Will you see Good on Paper?

Who stars in Good on Paper: Cast List

Iliza Shlesinger

The Right One, Instant Family

Margaret Cho

Fire Island, The Listener

Rebecca Rittenhouse

Ryan Hansen

Dog Days, The Christmas Classic

Who's making Good on Paper: Crew List

A look at the Good on Paper behind-the-scenes crew and production team. The film's director Kimmy Gatewood last directed Constance Wu Comedy/Screen Gems .

Kimmy Gatewood

Screenwriter

Production Companies

Watch good on paper trailers & videos.

No trailer available.

Production: What we know about Good on Paper?

Based on a mostly true story (6/6/2021).

Filming Timeline

2021 - June : The film was set to Completed status.

Good on Paper Release Date: When was the film released?

Good on Paper was a Netflix release in 2021 on Wednesday, June 23, 2021 .

Q&A Asked about Good on Paper

Seen the movie? Rate It!

Follow the Updates

Sun., Jun. 6, 2021
added a poster to the photo gallery
changed the US film release date from TBA to June 23, 2021
set film release to Netflix
added Netflix Originals as a distributor
added Kimmy Gatewood as director to movie credits
added Iliza Shlesinger as screenwriter to movie credits
added Ryan Hansen as actor to movie credits
added Rebecca Rittenhouse as actor to movie credits
added Margaret Cho as actor to movie credits
added Iliza Shlesinger as actor to movie credits

Looking for more information on Good on Paper?

Across the web.

Get Tickets + Showtimes
Get Digital Copy
Buy on Amazon
More Info on IMDb

Get the latest on upcoming movies before everyone else!

To revisit this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories .

What Is Cinema?

Iliza Shlesinger’s Ex-Boyfriend Lied About Everything—So She Made a Netflix Movie About Him

Iliza Shlesinger can laugh about it now. But the true-life relationship that inspired her new Netflix movie Good On Paper is still appalling to anyone who hears it for the first time.

In the movie, debuting Wednesday, Shlesinger plays a trusting, successful woman who is deceived and manipulated into romance by a man (played by Ryan Hansen ) who builds himself up on a tower of increasingly elaborate lies. By the time she figures out he's not at all who he says he is, he's already woven himself into every part of her life. If it weren't as ridiculous as it is infuriating, it would play like a horror story; as it is, Shlesinger calls the film a "rom- con " rather than a rom-com.

Shlesinger also wrote the movie, basing it on someone she dated several years ago. He lied about his job, where he went to college, where he lived, and played on her sympathy with tales of illness and personal hardship that all turned out to be bogus. After the truth emerged and the relationship imploded, the stand-up star was reeling, questioning not only her own judgment but the truthfulness of everyone around her.

She's over it now. Or, at least, she's better. She got married. She's making the transition from stand-up to film acting, as she always hoped. But she still can't believe what this pathological liar made her believe.

Image may contain Indoors Interior Design Audience Crowd Human Person David O. Russell Sitting Tie and Accessories

Ryan Hansen and Iliza Shlesinger's “meet cute” from the Netflix film Good On Paper .

Vanity Fair: In Good On Paper, it seems pretty clear you're playing a variation of yourself. How closely do you align with the character that you wrote?

Iliza Shlesinger: I align extremely closely. She's basically me. I would say Andrea is a little bit tougher and a little bit, I don't know, is blunter is a word? This girl isn't a delicate flower. She has paid her way through life, built a career and works hard. She can be a little rude at times, but the similarities are there because this was a real story that happened. And the only way I know how to tell things is honestly, as a comic. So I just translated that to paper.

I'm guessing you don't want to identify the man who inspired this movie by name, right?

I do not. I do not for legal reasons. The beauty of this movie is that it is accurate. I'd say two thirds of that movie are true. And every single lie that [the character] Dennis Kelly tells in this movie, those are lies that I took from memory that were told to me. All of those lies happened.

So let's go back to 2015, when you met this man. Where were you in your life?

I met him when I was 30. I was coming home from Thanksgiving; I got on the plane, and there was a guy sitting next to me who was my age. So we just started talking. I clocked him immediately as very East Coast preppy. You don't see a lot of like, Brooks Brothers-types of guys in L.A. He was witty and charming and he was smart.

What did you talk about?

“Where'd you go to school?” He said, I went to Yale and I said, “oh, my cousin, went there.” And he told me he was a hedge funder, which as a comic, I'm just like, “I think I know what that is...” We really enjoyed each other on the flight, and I think I had the guy I was dating picking me up. And [this new guy] told me he had a girlfriend. So it seemed safe to communicate, knowing we were both with someone.

Did he recognize you, the way the character in the movie recognizes her from her stand-up act?

I can't remember if he recognized me or not, but I put that in. It was just a creative decision I made for the movie. But to this day, I don't know if he knew who I was. I wasn't that famous at the time. I did have Netflix specials. Maybe he looked me up, maybe when I went to the bathroom. I don’t know. But I invited him to a show just saying, you know, if you and your girlfriend ever want tickets, come on out. I literally invite everyone to The Comedy Store. It's one of the perks of knowing a comic. You never need to pay for tickets.

Did you look up who he was?

I remember we got off the plane, and at the time Twitter was something that hadn't turned into a total island of misfit toys, like, an evil broken-doll factory. But I remember looking up his Twitter handle. He gave it to me and it had a Yale reference in it. What's even stranger is because he didn't go to Yale, I'm now like, is that a handle that he kept around for when he lied to women? Was that something he created on the plane when I wasn't looking? I don't know, but it checked out. I didn't think twice about it. And we became friends.

An interesting thing in the movie is that your character is not attracted to him. Ryan Hansen is a pretty attractive guy in real life, but director Kimmy Gatewood makes him a lot more oily and unctuous. In real life, was this a guy you would've been attracted to?

No! So I’m glad you picked up on that, and I'm glad you used the word unctuous , because I think that that's something we can apply to him now that we know the story. At the time he only struck me as elegant and witty and funny and charming—but I was not physically attracted to him at all. And I even remember thinking after we were friends, like, it's such a shame because he's a great guy.

Sounds like that’s another commentary on our culture’s standards.

Only in our society do we tell women to give a guy you're not chemically attracted to a chance. We never say to men, “Look, I know she's an armadillo, but she's really funny ! So maybe you'll become attracted to her.” But I wasn't attracted to him.

But he kept trying?

None of it was wooing me. I still really liked his personality, but I was just not attracted to this person. And I have this scene in the movie deliberately because women so get vilified: “Oh, you've led him on.” I was perhaps too painfully honest with him. I was like, “Look, I'm not there. I love you for all these reasons, but I can't be your girlfriend.” I was trying to be as kind with the words as possible, and I said, you know, if this relationship makes you uncomfortable, I understand if you don't want to hang out with me.

Image may contain Human Person Bar Counter Pub Restaurant Food Court Food Lisa Ryzih Glass and Sitting

Iliza Shlesinger, Margaret Cho, and Ryan Hansen in Good On Paper.

How did it turn into a romantic relationship, and when did you start suspecting something was off?

In terms of cracks beginning to show… he would always buy things for people. Not for me. He'd always pay for rounds. He'd always buy drinks for people. It was almost like, if I can posture like this, then nobody will question me. I'm always the guy buying the drinks.

Since he didn’t really have a hedge fund job, was he just racking up debt? Do you have any idea? Just maxing out credit cards?

Yes, he was.

What was it that led you to finally say, okay, actually I will date you?

I think this is a pressure we put on women. It's like you almost will yourself into liking them. And I do believe men are visual creatures, and women are cerebral creatures. So that's why a girl is like, “Oh, he's so funny. And I'm attracted to him, even if he's a total warthog.” You never see it the other way. So, there was pressure. Toward the end of the friendship, before we started dating, you go out, maybe you get drunk, and you kiss. I remember thinking, “Okay, I can kiss you when I'm drunk, but I need to be able to kiss you when I'm sober!” Like, trying to get there.

And you were still dating other people at this time?

I remember—and this is in the movie for a very specific reason—I was honest about the fact that I would go on dates and that I had a type of guy that I liked. I was out with a friend/romantic friend, and he was very GI Joe , All-American. Like, a big guy, kind of like Tyler Cameron is in the movie, which is why we picked him. [Cameron plays a guy Shlesinger’s character goes on a date with.] He ordered a drink and I said, let me take a picture of your arm in front of the drink because his arm was so huge. So I just took a picture, and I put it on my Instagram with some dumb caption. Ten minutes later, I got a phone call from Dennis.

He saw the picture?

He said, “I'm so sorry to bother you…” He was so upset. And he let me know that his mom had been diagnosed with cancer. And he didn't know who else to call.

Looking back on this moment, which to me was the linchpin of all of it, I believe he saw that Instagram post, saw the person I was out with, and he thought I've got to kick this up a notch . That set into motion my heart opening up to this person. I said, like, let's try this. Something switched in me.

But he was tricking you, right?

I even met the mother.

Was it his real mother?

I think so. Just because they both had a weak chin. It's easy to say, why didn't you ask her, but it's so indelicate to say to someone like, “Hey, how's your cancer?” So I didn't say anything. He had described to me that the cancer was pretty advanced. So I'm thinking this woman's not going to be here for long. I just want to meet her and be nice, and show her that her son is with someone who's going to be sweet to him.

Image may contain Cushion Pillow Human Person Furniture Couch and Ryan Hansen

Ryan Hansen and Iliza Shlesinger.

When did you start to realize he wasn’t who he said he was?

We dated for about three months and little things started to happen. I remember him volunteering, and saying I'd like to pay for your birthday party. He was my boyfriend and it's not uncommon to have a boyfriend pay for a dinner for your friends or something. I just want to stress this wasn't like he was buying me a Maserati. We went to the bar, we had the birthday, and at the end of the night, he was sitting on the fire escape in the back of the bar with his head in his hands, because we owed the bar a thousand dollars or whatever. He was unable to pay it. I remember thinking like, “You offered this, why are you being so weird?”

Finding out he didn’t really go to Yale was the key to learning that nothing about his life was what he said it was. So how did that happen?

My mom called the Yale registrar's office.

Your mom called Yale? Margaret Cho's character does that in the movie.

The character Margaret Cho plays is an amalgamation of three women: my best friend, my mother, and another friend. I don't remember what set her off or what made her think something was up. But once we started dating, she dug a little deeper and called the Yale registrar's office and they said, “We have no record of a Dennis Kelly having attended here since 1985."

Did you confront him?

I remember asking him, “Where's your Yale diploma?,” thinking they made a mistake. Maybe they spelled something wrong. I put his answer in the movie because I thought it was a great line. He said, “I'm not a dentist. I don't have my diploma hanging on the wall.” Even I was just like, yeah, I guess my college degree is in a frame in the closet. At 30, to have your undergrad degree hanging up, like, who cares?

Did other things start to seem off?

I remember he had said that he purchased a house in Beverly Hills and it was under construction. I wanted to see it. So we drove there and it was a split level apartment in the middle of Hollywood. I'm like, this is not a street that connects to Beverly Hills. We rang the doorbell and two women opened the door.

Again, just like in the movie…

This happened. I could not make this up. At first, we were like, “Wrong house!” Or, does he have a secret family? And the girl was like, “Oh, you're Iliza!” She was like, “We didn't believe that Dennis was actually dating you.”

What did you do then?

I called him. I'm like, “Who are these women? What is this?” And his answer was so perfect. He was a little weird and didn't want to talk about it, then he revealed, “I do have a house. My mother is living there now because she wants her own space. She's being treated for cancer at UCLA. And I want to give her her her space. I keep my stuff at my friend’s. I pay rent for it, so I'm helping her out and I spend most nights with you. So I don't ever go to my house.” When you invoke the cancer card, I'm thinking like, oh my God, I don't want to bother this woman in her home, in her like final weeks on this planet.

You kept doubting yourself instead of him.

It sounds insane. But when you love someone, and when you've known someone for a year and they're telling you their mom has cancer, you're just trying to show some deference, I guess. Then was just one thing after another. The house thing wasn't adding up. The Yale thing wasn't adding up.

What finally convinced you?

I can't remember all the pieces, but I remember I was flying home from playing the Tempe improv and had just had enough. I can't remember what the exact linchpin was, but I texted him and I said, I know you didn't go to Yale. And I know you're a liar. And he just wrote back: “You're right. I've been lying to you every day. Since the day I met you.” Like, he just dropped all of it.

Did he say why?

He said, “I love you. And I didn't know I would love you when I met you. And I've lived in fear every day because I didn't know what to do.”

Did you ever see him again?

We met for drinks. I remember storming out of the bar. I remember thinking like, “Well, first of all, we're definitely over.” I reached out to the roommates who I'd met that one time, because I said, I'd love to get more information, I'd love to just get some closure. I think he had moved out at that point, but I went over and a group of them were there. They start saying, you know, “We met him on Craigslist, and we've only known him for, like, a year or two. He's in debt for like $600,000. He said that you've been dating for a year.” Which means that he said we'd been dating since the day I met him on the plane—which is so gross. And then I remember saying, “I guess I just feel bad for him.”

Because of what he's going through when his mom had cancer. That's when the friend said, “What are you talking about? His mom doesn't have cancer.” And I went home. It was like blunt force trauma to the soul.

And that was it?

I went home and I passed out for like 15 hours because how do you process that? I never talked to him again.

Image may contain Jacket Clothing Apparel Coat Human and Person

Director Kimmy Gatewood and Iliza Shlesinger behind the scenes of Good On Paper.

Did he ever try to contact you?

I went to a wedding a couple months later, and I was with a bunch of high school friends and there was a nude beach. So I took a picture with my hands in the air, and then I had two friends shake hands in front of my boobs, so you couldn't see anything. These are people I've known my whole life. Like it's whatever. I put it on Instagram because I was, you know, in my early 30s, I'm single, and who cares? And I remember he sent me an email, chastising me for posting such a picture.

It just shows you the level of narcissism. A lot of women would just walk away. I unleashed on him. I was just like, “How dare you even email me? Everyone knows you're a liar. The world knows it.” I think this is before I started working on the script. Had he said nothing, I would've probably just been like, okay, he's a worm and he slithered away. But to write an email like that was so telling for the creature I was dealing with.

Do you know what happened to him?

A friend of a friend of a friend reached out a couple of years ago and they were like, “Did you know Dennis is getting married?” This is not someone I think about. Once you disappoint me, you're dead to me. And I had this thought: “Should I warn this woman?” I'm really into protecting women and being there and listening to women. But I didn't.

What held you back?

[Years before,] my best friend had called the mom to say, we just want to let you know, this is what your son is up to. The mother responded with, “Iliza is a failing actress, and she's addicted to drugs, and Dennis is sometimes too giving when it comes to women.” So, this is what he told his mother—or, she's in complete denial. Either way. It's so gross.

How did that factor into your thinking about whether to warn his new girlfriend?

I thought there's no point in warning her because he's either told her I'm crazy—in which case I will look crazy if I reach out to help her—or he's reconciled, come clean. And then I still look crazy, like I'm trying to ruin his life after he’s atoned. So I just let it lie. And I never did it.

Do you think there are a lot of people like him out there in the world?

I think it's a great question. Once I told this story, my inbox was inundated with people reaching out from all over—men and women. Apparently the cancer thing is a big heartstring tugger that a lot of people lie about. I think there's a lot more of this in our society than people realize, because you don't think about it until it happens to you.

Has this stuck with you? Do you find yourself doubting legit people because you had this experience, or do you think you've managed to maintain your faith that most people are going to be straightforward with you?

At the time, it rattled my cage, but for better, for worse, I remember thinking that he wins if I pay this pain forward, because this is a person who clearly felt they weren't enough.

How does it all feel now?

It didn't stick with me because he's not real. And the odds of that happening again were slim to none. The decision I made was, you'll get better first, and then it'll just be a crazy story. I guess the good thing is I replaced that pain, as comics do, with humor, and a script, and a movie. Now when I think of that time—this is the God's honest truth—there's no pain there. There's no anger. I don't get hot under the collar.I don't get anxious. I don't get those pangs. When I think of the story, I picture Ryan Hansen and Margaret Cho and Kimmy Gatewood, and the process to make this movie. I think of my story. Not his story.

This Q&A has been edited and condensed for clarity.

— An Exclusive Deep Dive Into Peter Jackson’s The Beatles: Get Back — Joseph Fiennes on His Handmaid’s Tale Fate — The 10 Best Movies of 2021 (So Far) — Jane Levy on the Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist Cancellation — Is Luca Pixar’s First Gay Movie ? — How Physical Got Under Rose Byrne’s Skin — What Is Bo Burnham’s Inside Really Trying to Say? — Simu Liu Is Ready to Take On Marvel — From the Archive: Jackie and Joan Collins, Queens of the Road — Sign up for the “HWD Daily” newsletter for must-read industry and awards coverage—plus a special weekly edition of “Awards Insider.”

Anthony Breznican

Senior hollywood correspondent.

Natasha Lyonne, Elizabeth Olsen, and Carrie Coon Hold Nothing Back in the Wrenching His Three Daughters

What To Watch Next?

Good On Paper

When a single woman in her 30s decides to give love a chance, she ends up with a guy who looks very good on paper, the problem is that maybe he's not all he pretends to be. an offbeat comedy that sadly doesn't deliver as much as it should..

If you don't know who Iliza Shlesinger is, then you can check out some of her stand-up specials on Netflix. And tapping into that world is the basis for the movie Good On Paper . Having previously told a story about dating a guy who turned out to be just a teeny bit of a liar, Shlesinger has managed to create a full-on feature film from it. She plays Andrea Singer, a stand-up comedian who has been putting her career ahead of romance. Now in her 30s, she has decided that maybe she should give guys a chance and that's when she meets Dennis.

Having just bombed in an audition, she ends up sitting next to him on the aeroplane. He's charming, funny, went to Yale, is a hedge fund manager and while not necessarily her type, she at least likes spending time with him. So the two become friends until Dennis (Ryan Hansen) wants more and Andrea finally decides to dive in and go with it. But as the months roll on, things become a little odd.

She has never met his friends or family, never been to his house, doesn't really know where he works and any attempts to get to know him better are batted away with increasingly strange excuses. So while Dennis might look Good On Paper , the reality is very different. Even her friends (Margaret Cho and Rebecca Rittenhouse) know something is up with the guy!

The problem with Good On Paper , is exactly that – the story looked good on paper. The translation to the big screen is a little more underwhelming. It's so obvious from the outset that Dennis is not all he's cracked up to be that I find it hard to imagine a smart, successful, usually very intuitive woman, could fall for even half the bullsh*t that he spouts as the movie goes on.

And honestly, it's not even like she's really that into him. I could understand being blinded by love but she's so reluctant the whole way along that it should have been very obvious. That's not a spoiler by the way, as the entire plot of the movie is based on well known stand-up routine.

There is a small twist at the end but really isn't enough to redeem what is otherwise a mediocre film. Funny in parts, a more off-beat comedy but one that at times is tough to watch with zero chemistry between the leads!

Different Look At Dating
Funny In Parts
More Of An Offbeat Comedy
Painfully Obvious Plot
Not Believable At All
No Onscreen Chemistry

Related Items

WE VALUE YOUR PRIVACY

Privacy overview.

Home » Endings Explained

Good on Paper ending explained – wait, is someone going to jail?

This article discusses the ending of the Netflix film Good on Paper, so it will contain major spoilers.

Good on Paper , Netflix’s newest foray into romantic comedies, follows Andrea ( Iliza Shlesinger playing a version of herself), a stand-up comedian and actor that meets a seemingly lovely fellow named Dennis (Ryan Hansen). Their relationship, which at first looks idyllic, ends up being built over a mountain of lies, deceits, and manipulation, all of which are resting on the shoulders of Dennis. Though most of this can be seen coming from the opening twenty minutes of the film, the climax changes location and tone, as the two meet again in a courthouse, far from the original airplane that started this relationship.

Netflix’s Good on Paper — the ending explained

After Andrea learns of Dennis’s constant lies, realizing she actually knows very little about the man she loves, she and her friend, Margot (Margaret Cho), decide to play a little trick on the unsuspecting liar. Margot gets him drunk, and the two tie him up to a chair, accidentally slicing open his skin and then cauterizing the wound. He admits to everything, as the jig certainly was up, before walking out of the room, likely never to see them again.

Except they do see him again after he charges Andrea with kidnapping and assault. In the courtroom, when everything seems to be going Dennis’s way, Andrea gets on the stage and makes a statement regarding her decisions. It’s a plea for the jury and the judge to see this relationship from her perspective and a monologue, a good one, she says, that attempts to sum up the real feelings that Shlesinger likely had during this experience.

And in the end, no one goes to jail. Andrea receives a court-mandated restraining order to stay away from Dennis, something she’s more than happy to oblige. Margot seems to be dating Dennis’s old roommate. As for Dennis, he flees town, with all the other characters unsure where he went. Andrea even puts up a billboard of him on Sunset Boulevard telling the world that he’s a liar, and for good measure, that he didn’t go to Yale.

Andrea looks to be on a better path after shooting in a TV show called Space Cadet , patching up her other friendships, and regaining her life. It’s a welcome sign after nearly 90 minutes of frustration and deceit from a man she loved.

Shlesinger herself has used the story as part of her comedy act over the last few years, turning the wretched experience into a joke, one that’s seen throughout the film. Clips of her stand-up show her discussing the incident to lots of laughter from the audience, and it seems like she’s moved on from the manipulative relationship.

Article by Michael Frank

Michael Frank is a film critic and entertainment journalist based out of Brooklyn, New York, and he joined Ready Steady Cut in September 2017, publishing over 80 articles for the website. Michael’s eye for Film and TV has gotten him noticed, and he has become a Rotten Tomatoes-certified critic.

Recap: Peace Is Temporary In 'Cobra Kai' Season 6, Episode 1

The English season 1, episode 3 recap - how do the Clarkes make a living?

This website cannot be displayed as your browser is extremely out of date.

Please update your browser to one of the following: Chrome , Firefox , Edge

Movie and Film Reviews (MFR)

Good on Paper

When Eliza Shlesinger first jumped out of the TV competition show Last Comic Standing she carved out a niche – one that started as cringe and matured and refined over the course of her first 3 stand-up specials – taking on the secret, catty, vindictive life of female mean-girl culture that exists away from male eyes. Whether it’s accurate or not it was a take nobody else in the pop culture sphere was touching and Shlesinger molded into a comic weapon with wit, imagination and precise delivery. We never got a movie from that phase of her career, but around 2016 Shlesinger seemed to decide “If you can’t beat them, join them” and pivoted away from original material to join the mainstream pop culture and deliver the same Men are Pigs jokes that has proliferated since the 80s. Now instead of manipulating everything behind the scenes, the women of Shlesinger’s acts were perennial victims of a patriarchal society and every minute of every day was a torture for them.

Which brings us to Good on Paper, Shlesinger’s film debut, written by her and directed by TV alum Kimmy Gatewood, the film side-steps and twists the traditional rom-com while remaining dull and blunted, Shlesinger unable to go for the jugular in relationship commentary and gender dynamics that she used to do so well.

The “semi-autobiographical” tale stars Shlesinger as, yes, a stand up comedian named Andrea who after a series of the usual failed relationships and cynicism meets Dennis (Ryan Hansen, Veronica Mars ), a dorky but successful and wealthy guy caring for his ailing mother. The two become fast friends with Dennis helping Andrea audition, until things turn romantic much to Andrea’s surprise. The closer they get the more evasive Dennis becomes conveniently coming up with excuses to let Andrea see his house or meet his mother so Andrea and her friend (Margret Cho) set out to find out who he really is.

That Good on Paper eschews a rom-com format for a catfishing story investigated by a makeshift Scooby gang is a lot more fun than the alternative would have been, but Shlesinger, curiously enough is so busy rustling together plot mechanics of the mystery and make side-swiping pot shots at larger gender themes, that she doesn’t hone in on the comedy of the situation. On the rare occasion they do arrive, the jokes are broad and flat. Even the Hollywood commentary brings nothing new to the table, with Andrea being cast in some sci-fi weekly procedural called Space Cadet to get back at her acting rival. We get jokes about sexist writers stealing her ideas and jokes about how she looks older than her age. But in a post-Weinstein Hollywood era all of this could have been even more caustic, in a post-Weinstein era we know that you’re lucky if some sleazebag Hollywood producer only stole your jokes. The villain here is Dennis for going to outrageous lengths to deceive this girl into thinking that he checks all of her relationship boxes, when Shlesinger of a decade ago would have satirized a woman’s box-checking exercise itself as part of the problem.

Good on Paper waivers between a mystery, a thriller, a gender commentary, a romance and a comedy without hitting any of those particularly deep. It’s entertaining, and I was moved along by the film’s solid pace to keep going and find out the truth and what Andrea would do when she learns truth – at which point the movie takes an even stranger tonal turn. If this wasn’t Iliza Shlesinger I wouldn’t have expected more, I wanted her first movie to make an impact. To be bold and incisive. However, none of the film’s turns pop the movie to life beyond an effortless, easy Saturday night diversion.

1 thought on “Good on Paper”

True Grit (2010) True Grit (2010)

Top 7 “Summer” Movies of All Time, a Mr. E Movie Countdown. Top 7 “Summer” Movies of All Time, a Mr. E Movie Countdown.

Top 7 “Summer” Movies of All Time, a Mr. E Movie Countdown. Alright boys and girls here we go again with another special Mr. E Countdown list. Now, I know

Kimmy Gatewood

Iliza Shlesinger, Ryan Hansen, Margaret Cho, Rebecca Rittenhouse

1:32

6/23/21 (Netflix)

| |

| June 22, 2021

seems like one of those unfortunate romantic anecdotes you'd tell your friends during a night of reminiscing and/or after a few drinks. It's amusing, filled with a bit of mystery and a few twists, and a little creepy. Everyone listening would laugh and wonder where the tale is heading (even if it seems a bit obvious) and commiserate with the teller. It's a good thing that experience mostly worked out and is now finished. Can we now talk about just about anything else—if not for us, then for you, before you make this unfortunate, rather sad, and completely negligible episode of your life a bigger deal than it actually is?

, but this movie leaves one with the discomforting feeling of watching a grudge taken way too far—not only in terms of what happens, but also by its very existence.

Movie Reviews

Tv/streaming, collections, chaz's journal, great movies, contributors.

Now streaming on:

The most important things in life happen between the words. Subterranean noise is often louder than dialogue. This is a truth we all experience, but it is challenging to pull off in film, particularly if the subterranean moments are small shifts in consciousness where the character (and audience) understands that nothing will be the same again. A film camera captures thought, and yet so many films seem to distrust this, their air filled with unnecessary dialogue, either exposition or explanation. India Donaldson's "Good One" is extraordinary in so many ways, but its most distinctive quality is how much Donaldson and her trio of actors (James LeGros, Danny McCarthy , and Lily Collias ) trust the subterranean, and allow it to do its work far beneath the surface, between the words.

Chris (Le Gros) and Matt (McCarthy) are lifelong friends, with a relationship like an old bickering married couple. Chris is the responsible one, but his marriage has ended and he's in a state of unwelcome middle-aged upheaval. Matt is a failed actor, openly flailing with disappointment. His teenage son wants nothing to do with him. Chris' 17-year-old daughter Sam (Collias) is a senior in high school, gearing up for college in the fall. She's a good kid and excited about the future. She's looking forward to a weekend hiking trip in the Catskills with her father, Matt, and Matt's son. When Matt's son refuses to go, Sam is without a peer to keep her company. It's too late to back out.

The hike isn't a casual afternoon walk. It's a three-day affair, everyone carrying gear on their backs, hiking long distances over sometimes arduous terrain. Chris and Sam are practiced hikers. They've got all the rituals down. Matt is a buffoon. He's wearing jeans. He packs inappropriately. He can't set up his tent. Chris is rigid and critical. The dynamic between the friends feels like a habit more than anything else. Chris is perpetually irritated with Matt, while Matt cracks jokes. His lightheartedness is a thin veneer placed over misery so deep it's practically existential. "I don't know how I became so untethered," he says in a naked moment.

We see all of this through Sam's eyes. She is perceptive and thoughtful. When the two men ask for her opinion on their grown-up problems, she surprises them with her insight. Something's "off" about all of this, though. Sam is 17 years old, but she's still a kid. These guys are a lot to handle, and one of them is her dad. They forget she's young, they forget that maybe getting tipsy and swapping stories about infidelity isn't something she needs to see. What starts off as a nice time (albeit chaotic with all the bickering) quickly becomes not so nice. In fact, there's a feeling in the air, more and more distinct as the film goes on, that Sam is not safe with these two men she's known all her life.

What happened, though?

"Good One" is intriguing in its disinterest in explanations. The film's refusal to "satisfy" an audience with easy explanations or even cathartic moments pulls you into its atmosphere, dragging you into the weird dynamic which grows more claustrophobic by the moment. Sam has her period and keeps leaving the path to put in a tampon, as Chris and Sam wait in the background, completely oblivious to her extra burden. She's got this whole world going on they have no idea about. The period is an intriguing detail (all the details are intriguing in this beautiful film, including its evocative title), highlighting the biological difference, but also highlighting her isolation. The only women in the movie are back home. Sam is on her own.

I took a friend to the press screening, and we walked home, talking about it the whole way. There was so much to discuss, and I can't help but think it's because what it all "means" is left unsaid. Donaldson does not take the easy way out.

The majority of the film takes place outside. Cinematographer Wilson Cameron (who also directed two of Donaldon's shorts) captures the lush greenery, the way the bodies move through it, the vistas. In some of the more intimate scenes, he utilizes very interesting framing where one head looms in the foreground, and another head peeks out from behind the blockage. The characters are crammed into the frame, but in each others’ way. The sound design is exquisite: the vivid sounds of rushing water, bugs, and birds take the place of dialogue. There are long sequences where we watch the characters hike, set up tents, break down their campsite. The rhythm is soothing, but underneath, things are curdling, shattering.

Most of the film happens on Collias' face. She is an astonishing young actress, where every flicker of thought, discomfort, humor, and shock shows. Her face leads us. The subterranean shift is Sam's, a tectonic plate moving far beneath the surface of her life, marking her indelibly. When Sam exits the forest, she's not the same girl as when she went in. Everything has changed.

Sheila O'Malley

Sheila O'Malley received a BFA in Theatre from the University of Rhode Island and a Master's in Acting from the Actors Studio MFA Program. Read her answers to our Movie Love Questionnaire here .

Now playing

The Way We Speak

Matt zoller seitz.

Brian Tallerico

Lady in the Lake

Kaiya shunyata.

Despicable Me 4

Running on Empty

Monica castillo, film credits.

Good One (2024)

Lily Collias as Sam

James Le Gros as Chris

Danny McCarthy as Matt

Sumaya Bouhbal as Jessie

Diana Irvine as Casey

India Donaldson

Latest blog posts

Female Filmmakers in Focus: Angela Patton and Natalie Rae

The Party is Over in City of God: The Fight Rages On

Apple TV+'s Bad Monkey Struggles to Find Its Voice

The Box Office is Everything: In Praise of the Window at the Front of the Theater

Flickering Myth

Geek Culture | Movies, TV, Comic Books & Video Games

Movie Review – Good One (2024)

August 9, 2024 by Robert Kojder

Good One , 2024.

Written and Directed by India Donaldson. Starring Lily Collias, James Le Gros, Danny McCarthy, Sumaya Bouhbal, Diana Irvine, Sam Lanier, Peter McNally, and Eric Yates.

During a weekend backpacking trip in the Catskills, 17-year-old Sam navigates the clash of egos between her father and his oldest friend.

In India Donaldson’s Good One , Sam (a captivating performance from newcomer Lily Collias) is on a backpacking trip with her father, Chris (James Le Gros), which appears to be their favorite bonding activity. Joining them is her father’s longtime friend Matt (Danny McCarthy) and his son, at least until they get into an argument at the front door while attempting to pick them up for the drive into the Catskills. The son chooses to stay behind. Even with that unexpected wrinkle thrown into their plans, one imagines that this trio has done something similar before, perhaps multiple times. The point is that this time, the college-bound Sam is about to have her relationship with those two men changed forever, especially a father she increasingly grows cold toward, slowly getting a stronger grasp of his most unlikable qualities.

Whether it’s Chris being passive-aggressive toward his current partner (he is divorced from Sam’s mom), stubbornly refusing to listen to anything his daughter says regarding his behavior, or Matt’s pity-pretty routine (not to mention a staggering lack of preparation that leaves his friend frustrated and putting him down often), the 17-year-old girl regularly demonstrates herself to be the smartest person in the car and forest. Wise beyond her years, much of the runtime consists of Sam giving them individual advice that is generally ignored by her father and sometimes taken by Matt, who we can assume to be similar to an uncle figure, given how long he has likely been in her life.

India Donaldson also captures the Catskills in quietly stunning beauty, maneuvering the characters into striking locales such as cliffs and rivers. She also sees Sam as a character beyond the story being told, ensuring that the girl has a life beyond camping with her dad and his best friend. Sam is depicted texting friends on the car ride there and managing her period across the days. Such small scenes also make where the film ultimately goes land with a greater force; she is a young girl on the verge of adulthood, yet, by the ending, she also shouldn’t be in the position she finds herself in emotionally.

Chris and Matt have both had failed marriages, meaning that in between whipping up some quick meals and hiking, Sam often finds herself listening and reacting to their conversations and dissatisfaction with life. While it’s also fairly obvious where the story goes regarding these character dynamics, specifically one moment that drastically alters things forever, India Donaldson is aware not to center the entire third act on that.

Good One remains fixated on characterization with naturalistic dialogue from all and a phenomenally understated performance from Lily Collias, focused on how her perception of these two men shifts. It’s an exquisitely shot (Wilson Cameron) devastating coming-of-age story where a girl practically loses all respect for her father and presumably another close male figure, also pointing out the unsettling truth of how girls, especially ones with a great deal of maturity, are perceived as they grow closer to womanhood.

Even though it is sometimes detrimentally slow-moving, Good One is always engaging, leaving one prepared for something to dissolve the connections here that are already hanging on by a thread (with ominous music from Celia Hollander setting that stage.) The ending, in particular, is hard to shake, driving home the idea that the relationship between these three has fallen apart.

Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★

Robert Kojder is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association and the Critics Choice Association. He is also the Flickering Myth Reviews Editor. Check here for new reviews, follow my Twitter or Letterboxd , or email me at [email protected]

FMTV – Watch Our Latest Video Here

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:

MTV Generation-Era Comedies That Need New Sequels

Great Movies Guaranteed To Creep You Out

Forgotten Horror Movie Sequels You Never Need to See

The Essential 1990s Superhero Movies

Has Dave Filoni Made the Star Wars Prequels Cool 25 Years Later?

5 Reasons Why Flesh of the Gods Will Be THE Film to Watch in 2025

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind at 20: A Sci-Fi Romance Unlike Any Other

The Worst Jean-Claude Van Damme Remakes and DTV Sequels

The Essential Modern Day Swashbucklers

Hellboy: Guillermo del Toro’s Occult Superhero Fantasy at 20

Comic Books
Video Games
Toys & Collectibles
Articles and Opinions
About Flickering Myth
Write for Flickering Myth
Advertise on Flickering Myth
Terms of Use
Privacy Policy

Skip to main content
Keyboard shortcuts for audio player

Movie Reviews

LISTEN & FOLLOW
Apple Podcasts
Amazon Music

Your support helps make our show possible and unlocks access to our sponsor-free feed.

In ‘Good One,’ a family camping trip is full of emotional switchbacks

Justin Chang

Lily Collias brings a nearly wordless intensity as Sam in Good One. Smudge Films hide caption

Too often, the month of August is regarded as a fallow period for moviegoing, after the big blockbusters of the summer but before the awards contenders of the fall. But the aptly titled new movie Good One is a reminder that there are always smart, interesting films being released, if you’re willing to look beyond the obvious. As it turns out, looking beyond the obvious is something that the writer-director India Donaldson has a real knack for. In just 90 minutes, she tells a three-character story that appears simple enough on the surface, yet it’s so sharp and engrossing that you might not immediately notice the deeper story taking shape underneath.

Lily Collias plays 17-year-old Sam, who’s going backpacking in the Catskills with her father, Chris — that’s the terrific James Le Gros in a too-rare leading role. They’re supposed to be joined by Chris’ oldest friend, Matt, and his teenage son, Dylan. But Matt winds up being the only one to come along; he and Dylan’s mom are recently divorced, and Dylan isn’t taking it well.

Chris himself has been divorced for a while, and he and Sam have a pretty harmonious relationship by comparison. They seem to get along even when they’re bickering, as happens when Chris criticizes Sam’s driving.

Much of the movie consists of Sam listening quietly as Chris and Matt go on and on, reminiscing about old times yet always finding new things to grouse about. Chris, a savvy outdoorsman, can’t stop complaining about how badly Matt has overpacked for a three-day hiking trip.

Clockwise from top left: Inside Out 2, Thelma, Twisters, Hit Man, Fancy Dance and Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F.

These are the 19 movies we're most excited about this summer

While the two men rarely ask Sam how she’s doing or feeling, they seem cool enough where it counts. Chris has long been supportive of his daughter’s queer identity; she has a girlfriend whom she texts during the trip, whenever she can get a cellphone signal. Matt tells Sam that she’s wise beyond her years: Unlike all the other reckless, rebellious teenagers out there, she’s a rare “good one” in his book.

Scene by scene, however, writer-director Donaldson paints a subtler picture of the dynamics at work. At times Good One reminded me of Kelly Reichardt ’s quietly perceptive 2006 drama, Old Joy , which also squeezed a lot of emotional history into a fateful camping trip.

You get the sense that Sam has traveled a bunch with her dad and Matt before, and that she’s long adjusted to her designated role. When the three of them share a motel room on their way up to the Catskills, it’s Sam who instinctively rolls out her sleeping bag, without even being asked, leaving the two beds to the men. And once they reach their campsite, it’s Sam who cooks dinner for the three of them without complaint. The dynamics are complicated. Beneath the men’s easygoing manner, there’s an unmistakable air of condescension toward Sam, a sense that their appreciation of her is more conditional than genuine.

If Sam resents them for any of this, she doesn’t show it, at least not at first. Collias gives a beautifully understated performance; with very little effort, she can register everything from wry affection to barely concealed exasperation. And Donaldson, working with the cinematographer Wilson Cameron, proves as keenly observant as her protagonist. She’s alive to the beauty of the mountains, whether it’s the sight of a majestic canyon or the sound of rushing water. Some of the movie’s slow-simmering tension arises from your uncertainty about what might be lurking nearby, whether it’s a bear in search of food or three young men they cross paths with on the hiking trail.

But Good One isn’t one of those movies in which a journey into the wilderness spirals into horror. The dangers that Donaldson introduces are of a more intimate and perhaps more insidious nature. There comes a moment in the story when everything changes, and it’s at once surprising and unsurprising, all too believable and, in the moment, perhaps a little contrived.

But that hardly matters. What matters is how Sam responds to this sudden shift, and Collias shows her unpacking that response almost in real time, and with a nearly wordless intensity. Good One has the concision of a sharply etched short story, but what happens by the end can’t be easily summed up. Sam won’t soon forget the lessons of this particular trip, and neither will we.

'Good One' Review: Lily Collias Is a Revelation In India Donaldson’s Great Debut

Your changes have been saved

Email is sent

Email has already been sent

Please verify your email address.

You’ve reached your account maximum for followed topics.

The Big Picture

Lily Collias delivers an outstanding leading performance in Good One that is both confident and assured.
Writer-director India Donaldson strikes a delicate balance between capturing the beauty of the setting and a growing dread.
The cinematography by Wilson Cameron and the score by Celia Hollander fuse together perfectly.

This review was originally part of our coverage of the 2024 Sundance Film Festival.

Every once in a while, there is a newcomer who gives such a commanding leading performance that it immediately makes them one to watch in anything and everything they set out to do. Think of the magnificent Lily Gladstone , who remains the best example of this , when she made her shattering breakout performance with Kelly Reichardt ’s Certain Women to understand what such a moment can feel like. These points in a newcomer’s career are among the most thrilling experiences that can come from opening your mind to films with people whose names you may not know yet, though you won’t be able to forget as soon as you see them work. The latest to make such an unforgettable impression is Lily Collias, who crafts an understated though no less arresting performance in writer-director India Donaldson’ s feature debut Good One . Though Collias played a supporting role in last year’s Palm Trees and Power Lines , which has some thematic similarities to this one, she steps into the spotlight here to bring us completely into the life of a teenager going backpacking with her father and his friend. It marks the arrival of two exciting new voices in Donaldson and Collias.

During a weekend backpacking trip in the Catskills, 17-year-old Sam navigates the clash of egos between her father and his oldest friend.

What Is 'Good One' About?

The film is all about Sam (Collias), though it is also just as much about her father, Chris ( James Le Gros ), and his friend, Matt ( Danny McCarthy ). The trio is going on a three-day backpacking trip in the Catskills, gorgeous mountains in southeastern New York State, that originally was supposed to include Matt’s son. This is quickly upended as, when Chris and Sam go to pick them up, we see an intense argument between the two spilling out onto the street. Though Sam offers to go talk to his son about this, Matt petulantly brushes this off and just leaves him. Thus, the four are now three and Sam will have to deal with the patriarchs all on her own. The experience then becomes one that can rapidly change from being occasionally fun to more annoying, with the two supposed adults incessantly bickering, and ultimately darkly depressing in one key turn near the end that is built upon all of this. It makes for an all-consuming film as Donaldson captures the particulars of this trip with such patience and precision that the growing discomfort becomes almost suffocating . Sam loves her dad and enjoys these trips. They may even be ones she remembers fondly later in life, though it is also beyond infuriating to see how she is treated at nearly every turn.

This is all then juxtaposed with the beauty of the landscape that is captured perfectly by cinematographer Wilson Cameron and given even more life via the score by Celia Hollander . There are many moments where Donaldson just slows everything down to take all this in, fusing the splendor of these rich images with peaceful yet potent music. That the film has drawn some comparisons to Reichardt perhaps makes sense. This is both because Le Gros was previously in the aforementioned Certain Women and because Reichardt’s latest, the sublime Showing Up , has many such moments of more peaceful contemplation. Hell, there are even moments in Good One where you hear some notes that might lead you to wonder if André 3000 was also playing the flute here again as well as it almost sounds like he might be.

However, while this comparison is a testament to Donaldson’s confidence in how she writes and directs, this is still largely reductive, as each is doing different things on a thematic level. Most notably, Good One is about a young person stuck having to appease the egos of adults. The way Donaldson explores this feels so authentic that it can be agonizing as we feel every casual moment of disrespect shown to Sam. They will ask for her advice, valuing her thoughts only when it has to do with them in some way, though will also just as quickly minimize what she’s feeling. It is all done so flippantly by both that you realize it has always been this way .

This Sundance Indie Shows the "Unvarnished Truth" of Growing Up

First-time filmmaker India Donaldson and the cast of 'Good One' share what it was like filming this honest coming-of-age film out in the wilderness.

The discomforting reality is that this is how such dynamics can and do happen. Though there are always going to be moments of joy sprinkled throughout, whether it is when joking around in a slightly more reciprocal way or when beholding a breathtaking view, they become contaminated with just how cruel the two men are without a second thought. For all the ways that we can see Sam enjoys going on these types of trips, Donaldson delicately balances this with a growing sense of all-too-common dread in each scene . Details about the men’s insecurities come crashing down like an avalanche and threaten to bury anyone around underneath as an otherwise normal conversation can suddenly swerve into more troubling territory. Despite being in the grand beauty of nature, they remain anything but humbled as they manage to make nearly every single thing about them. In many ways, Good One is a gentle film, especially when we get to see moments with Sam by herself, free from her exhausting traveling companions. Of course, they never last long. It is a simple yet effective way to show how the mere presence of the men, so wrapped up in themselves that they miss the forest for the trees, is dragging her down. While one wishes there was more room given to stepping away from this, it makes one scene near the end carry that much more weight.

Lily Collias Is Outstanding in 'Good One'

Lily Collias as Sam peers out of a tent while out in the woods in Good One.

Through it all, Collias is so confident and assured that it feels like this is her fiftieth leading role instead of her first . While both Le Gros and McCarthy are equally convincing in their roles, they are nothing compared to her. They both get more lines, but she is the one that speaks volumes in every single moment. The way Collias makes her way through each scene is nothing short of spectacular, as we feel every emotion she must cautiously express with hesitancy that it hurts. This culminates in a deeply disturbing shift when Sam finds herself put in a position that could represent real and imminent danger. This gets even more grim in one of the final conversation scenes where she speaks up about what happened only to be downplayed by the person she should be able to trust most. It is a betrayal that, as we see Collias capture a multitude of realizations crossing across Sam’s face, cuts like a knife.

All the tranquility of nature is corrupted by this as it takes what should be a beautiful memory and poisons it for what will likely be forever. In the same way that Charlotte Wells masterfully revealed how a father can be someone who is broken and hurting in Aftersun , Donaldson shows how they can also be the ones causing the immense hurt. Though the way this subsequently wraps up could easily be perceived as being too neat, this is precisely the point. Just as she had been expected to do so throughout the film, Sam is essentially made to accept a contrived solution that falls far short of showing her basic respect. The emptiness of what is meant to be a caring gesture from her father, proving to be both too little and too late, serves as one closing demonstration of his profound inadequacy. She will outgrow both of these men, if she hasn’t already done so, though it is in this perilous time when she still must contend with their callousness that Donaldson and Collias create a striking cinematic portrait . Much like the beauty of the trees through which they walk on their trip, Sam has the potential to reach the sky and tower above it all. If only it were not for those who cut her down.

Good One Sundance Film Festival 2024 Image

Good One is not just a great feature debut, but one of the best, most precise films you'll see all year.

Writer-director India Donaldson captures the particulars of this painful trip with patience and precision.
Lily Collias is a revelation, giving a leading performance that feels like her fiftieth instead of her first.
The film is a striking cinematic portrait, juxtaposing the beauty of nature with the increasingly cruelty that poisons it.

Good One opens in limited theaters in the U.S. starting August 9 before expanding. Click below for showtimes near you.

GET TICKETS

Movie Reviews

Supported by

Critic’s Pick

‘Good One’ Review: Revelation in the Woods

Lily Collias delivers an extraordinary lead performance in this exquisite debut feature about a camping trip and a moment of self-realization.

Share full article

A teenager in a maroon long-sleeve shirt sits with her arms on her knees in a maroon-colored tent.

By Alissa Wilkinson

“Good One” is a drama about human relationships, but it starts with close-up shots of plants and insects, setting the scene in more ways than one. Yes, the characters will spend most of the movie in the woods, and high summer in upstate New York is quite literally full of dirt, bugs and leafy canopies. But contemplating the rich greens and earthy red-browns, I found myself pondering life cycles, the mutating forms and constant shifts of the natural world — and of human life, too. I don’t think that’s an accident.

The “good one” of the title is Sam (Lily Collias), who is 17 and on a camping trip with her high-strung father, Chris (James Le Gros), and one of his oldest friends, an underemployed actor named Matt (Danny McCarthy). Matt’s son was supposed to come too, but bailed in a fit of pique, still bitter about his parents’ divorce. So it’s just Sam and the men.

Sam is exactly the type to get called the “good one” — not because she’s a prim Goody Two-shoes, but because she’s the sort of teenage girl that adults, especially adult men, feel comfortable around. She’s levelheaded and knows how to snark when necessary. In the woods, she pulls more than her own weight — she can pitch a tent, load up a day pack, filter water, build a fire and cook steaming bowls of ramen. She’ll take advice, but she’s equally good at giving it, an independent thinker with whom any grown-up could talk.

And boy, do Chris and Matt talk. Their relationship is rife with old rivalries and structured by all the selves they once were, all the way back to nearly Sam’s age. You can see them fall into an old script, Matt the hapless mess who packs all the wrong stuff and Chris the organized leader who gets mad when the energy bars aren’t in the right place.

Sam observes her father’s digs at Matt as they trek across the forest for three days, often silently, only her eyes betraying her thoughts. She has seen this dynamic her whole life. It unnerves her a little, the realization that these guys in their 50s, a couple of life stages ahead of her, are as immature as the boys she knows from home.

We are having trouble retrieving the article content.

Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access.

Already a subscriber? Log in .

Want all of The Times? Subscribe .

Election 2024
Entertainment
Newsletters
Photography
AP Buyline Personal Finance
AP Buyline Shopping
Press Releases
Israel-Hamas War
Russia-Ukraine War
Global elections
Asia Pacific
Latin America
Middle East
Delegate Tracker
AP & Elections
2024 Paris Olympic Games
Auto Racing
Movie reviews
Book reviews
Financial Markets
Business Highlights
Financial wellness
Artificial Intelligence
Social Media

Movie Review: Delicate and powerful, ‘Good One’ is one of the year’s indie breakouts

This image released by Metrograph shows Lilly Collias in a scene from “Good One.” (Metrograph via AP)

This image released by Metrograph shows James Le Gros,, left, and Lilly Collias in a scene from “Good One.” (Metrograph via AP)

This image released by Metrograph shows James Le Gros, left, and Lilly Collias in a scene from “Good One.” (Metrograph via AP)

Copy Link copied

A 17-year-old’s perception of her father is forever altered on a three-day backpacking trip in India Donaldson’s excellent debut “ Good One ,” in theaters Friday .

Something happens. And then something doesn’t happen. But that’s more of the tear point on the already delicate fabric of a relationship that has been deteriorating from neglect for years.

The trip to the Catskills was envisioned as a joint family trip. Chris (James Le Gros) and his daughter Sam (newcomer Lily Collias) planned to go with Chris’s old friend Matt (Danny McCarthy) and his teenage son. But when they pull up to Matt’s place, there’s an argument taking place between the father and son, who retreats to the apartment as Matt stomps to Chris’s car. The teenage son is no longer joining them.

Donaldson focuses her camera on Sam, whose face and deeply expressive eyes tell you everything you need to know: This is weird and it doesn’t feel right. Suddenly she’s on a boys trip with a pair of sad middle aged men who have known one another for decades and whose lives haven’t worked out the way they thought. Both are divorced. Chris has moved on and has a new baby. Matt is still in the early stages of having his life upended. And, boy, do they talk about their failed relationships, one of whom is obviously Sam’s mother. “I couldn’t make her happy.” “She was the one who started doing things first.” “I didn’t want to get divorced.”

Sam rolls her eyes a lot of the time; Other times she responds insightfully. The guys seem to half hear her, but also not. They long ago decided on their own narrative, their victimhood, and Sam is not going to change that with a bit of innocent truth.

Are they always this honest with their disappointments, failures and shortcomings around their kids, you wonder? Or is this a new thing happening on this trip? Chris, in particular, has forgotten that Sam, as worldly and wise as she seems, is still ultimately just a kid. You sense that Sam has already started to realize that her father is as flawed as anyone; but on this trip, his full self is on display.

All of the acting is terrific and so naturalistic that it’s easy to forget that these are actors performing lines that they’ve memorized in front of a camera. Le Gros as the fastidious super camper, who freaks out about his daughter’s safety from bears when he discovers that Matt was eating in his tent, but does little later on; And McCarthy as a failed actor and now failed husband who can be charming and fun but is mostly annoying and gross. But the real breakout is Collias. Her face and presence, empathetic and knowing, carries the whole film in an unforgettable depiction of modern girlhood with all of the dreaminess, awkwardness and boredom.

Donaldson, like Kelly Reichardt , has a keen eye for the smallest of details; A reaction, a wince, even a blank expression that says everything. She also knows when to turn away from the dialogue and the people and give the audience a nature break. One of many great decisions was to have Sam on her period during the trip, something she deals with silently behind trees and bushes as the guys wait impatiently.

At one point the guys are dreaming about what they’d do differently if they had a second chance at life. Matt would be a philosopher. Chris would own a bookstore. What about Sam, they ask. She responds that hopefully she still has a shot at deciding on this life. Indeed.

These stakes might seem comparatively small in a movie landscape of deadly tornadoes, apocalypses and multiverses colliding. But that’s what makes it so special. It is humanity, with all of its beauties and disappointments, as most of us experience it. And it’s one that will likely stay with you for some time.

“Good One,” a Metrograph pictures release in limited theaters Friday, is rated R by the Motion Picture Association for “language.” Running time: 90 minutes. Four stars out of four.

Review: In the quietly observed ‘Good One,’ a teenager grapples with aggressions small and big

Copy Link URL Copied!

A woodsy hike becomes a Petri dish of human nature in “Good One,” writer-director India Donaldson ’s tense, revealing and exquisitely composed feature debut about a 17-year-old at the cusp of adulthood. In its lived-in quality and gathering churn, “Good One” is a dream of an indie, from the craft in every frame to the humor, epiphanies and mysteries that gird its portraiture.

Its watchful soul is a New York daughter of divorce, Sam (Lily Collias, a real find), who with her remarried architect dad, Chris (James Le Gros), is expecting their Upstate excursion to be a backpacking foursome. But when the teenage son of dad’s oldest pal, Matt (Danny McCarthy), bows out at the last second, making them a trio, Sam finds herself without a peer, a deflation that Collias perfectly conveys without words from the SUV’s backseat. Over an endurance test of a weekend, we’ll get to know this Mona Lisa-esque face very well as Sam’s microexpressions and utterances betray fascinating variations on “How did I get here?”

That’s because the trip quickly becomes the Matt and Chris show, a long-running two-hander stuffed with bickering, personality tics and grievances that suggests a friendship of opposites long past its sell-by date. Sam’s gently patronizing dad, masterfully rendered by one of our most underappreciated actors (when will James Le Gros get his Oscar?), is an uptight, over-organized weekend warrior with little tolerance for his old chum’s shambolic quality and self-mythologizing patter. Matt, meanwhile, is avuncular and parlor-philosophical, but in McCarthy’s perfectly captured performance of an ego barely hanging on by some well-chewed fingernails, he can barely hide how depressed he is about a life gone sideways, or how hurt he is by Chris’s jabs.

It all leaves Sam in a situation where she’s not only a lone target for the pair’s “These kids today”-style ribbing, but also, by turns, a personal assistant, cook, advisor and peacekeeper. (When Sam tends to her period squatting behind a tree, the vibe is of a worker’s ill-timed break.) A quality getaway with loved ones starts to feel like managing a suffocating situation. Even her sympathy gets weaponized: When she indulges Matt’s harmlessly random musings or laughs with him, you can feel her father’s irritation rise.

“Good One” is soexpert at tracking a young woman’s emotional intelligence — as amusing, preciseand patient as a Kelly Reichardt film like “Certain Women” — that when the moment arrives when everything shifts, it’s a legitimate surprise. Don’t call it a twist, though. (No spoilers here.) It’s a built-in hinge, and the melodrama-averse Donaldson treats it as such, letting it open the door for a final act of decision-making and discovery that positions Sam as emerging from this odd, illuminating trip a more self-possessed individual.

A filmmaker in a button-down top poses for the camera.

India Donaldson grew up around Hollywood A-listers. Now she’s cutting her own path

Her father is responsible for ‘No Way Out’ and ‘Cocktail,’ but India Donaldson has found a signature way into filmmaking with her celebrated indie debut, ‘Good One.’

Aug. 6, 2024

So much of this psychologically complex movie’s artistry is wonderfully assured, from cinematographer Wilson Cameron’s textured intimacy with nature and faces, to the tenderly applied, deceptively varied music. But what most gives me hope for Donaldson as a filmmaker, however, is how much she cares about the lost magic of scene work, those building blocks of human interaction — movement, composition, dialogue, pacing, depth and in this case the gifts of an incredible newcomer in Collias — that fuse us to a movie’s internal logic, its intangibles. “Good One” is as complete a piece of storytelling as you’ll see all year. For a pot of frogs coming to a boil, it’s a great place to be.

'Good One'

Rating: R, for language Running time: 1 hour, 29 minutes Playing: Opens Friday at Landmark Theatres Sunset, Los Angeles

Emma Myers leads a suspenseful teen mystery in ‘A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder’

Aug. 1, 2024

Review: In ‘Great Absence,’ a son puzzles out the dad he misunderstood, now fading into dementia

July 26, 2024

A woman and a cat on a leash walk in a ruined New York City.

Review: ‘A Quiet Place: Day One’ is the rare prequel that outclasses the original for mood

June 28, 2024

Only good movies

Get the Indie Focus newsletter, Mark Olsen's weekly guide to the world of cinema.

You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.

More From the Los Angeles Times

Gena Rowland with sunglasses on her head and a pinkish red scar around her neck posing with her left hand on her cheek

Entertainment & Arts

Gena Rowlands, veteran actor who brought husband John Cassavetes’ films to life, dies at 94

Aug. 14, 2024

Rob Schneider, wearing a dark suit, flashes a Shaka sign at a red carpet

Elle King called her dad ‘toxic.’ Now, Rob Schneider says he hopes she can forgive him

George Clooney and Brad Pitt laugh on a night shoot for their film 'Wolfs' at the South Street Seaport in New York

George Clooney fires back at Quentin Tarantino, David O. Russell in Q&A with Brad Pitt

Cailee Spaeny in the movie "Alien: Romulus." Credit: 20th Century Studios

Review: Bringing things back to basics, ‘Alien: Romulus’ leans into the horror and the goo

IMAGES

Good on Paper movie review & film summary (2021)
Good on Paper (2021)
‎Good on Paper (2021) directed by Kim Gatewood • Reviews, film + cast
Good on Paper Netflix Movie Review
Good on Paper (2021)
'Good on Paper'" Iliza Shlesinger Movie Review, Streaming on Netflix

COMMENTS

Good on Paper movie review & film summary (2021)
Good on Paper. It's a scam at first sight. Flustered by a bad day, comedian Andrea Singer ( Iliza Shlesinger) bumps into a well-meaning stranger at the airport. That kind stranger, Dennis ( Ryan Hansen ), happens to sit by her on their flight to Los Angeles, and soon, an unlikely friendship forms between the comedian and the hedge fund manager.
Good on Paper
Aug 22, 2023 Full Review Rebecca Johnson Film Focus Online Good on Paper has its funny moments with some decent stand-up comedy, but overall is a pretty dumb and convoluted watch that believes ...
'Good on Paper' Review: A Bad Romance Makes for a Good Netflix Movie
Ryan Hansen. 'Good on Paper' Review: Iliza Shlesinger's Bad Romance Makes for Funny Fodder in Netflix Rom-Com. Reviewed online, Los Angeles, June 20, 2021. Rating: R. Running time: 93 MIN ...
Good on Paper (2021)
Good on Paper: Directed by Kimmy Gatewood. With Iliza Shlesinger, Britney Young, Christopher Nicholas Smith, Adam Lustick. After years of putting her career first, a stand-up comic meets a guy who seems perfect: smart, nice, successful and possibly too good to be true.
'Good on Paper' Netflix Review: Stream It Or Skip It?
Good on Paper definitely falls into the category of 'anti rom-coms' like My Best Friend's Wedding, Chasing Amy, and (500) Days of Summer, though tonally it veers towards A Simple Favor at ...
Good on Paper (2021)
IIiza Shlesinger delivers but the film is decent with its jokes and humor. cruise01 2 August 2021. 3 out of 5 stars. Good on Paper is a fair romantic comedy film which many can relate when dating. And they come across when the other person lies about themselves to make them seem more presentable.
Good on Paper
A Geek Community. Despite an undercooked third act and some long stretches of unfunny riffs, Good on Paper finds a way to keep you engaged throughout the film's 90-minute runtime. Full Review ...
Good on Paper Movie Review
Kids say ( 1 ): Iliza Shlesinger and Margaret Cho make a very funny duo, and while this collaboration isn't great cinema, it's an amusing and well-paced hour and half of entertainment. The few laugh-out-loud scenes in Good on Paper involve the pair together -- an over-prepared stake-out and a misguided interrogation come to mind. The film ...
Good on Paper review
Netflix. Good on Paper manages to borrow from a variety of genres without ever feeling like a rip-off. Moments of cringe-worthy second-hand-embarrassment humour (a la Curb Your Enthusiasm) come up ...
'Good on Paper'" Iliza Shlesinger Movie Review, Streaming on Netflix
'Good on Paper,' in which comic Iliza Shlesinger mines an IRL bad romance for laughs, is a decent anti-rom-com—but a better star vehicle. 'Good on Paper'" Iliza Shlesinger Movie Review ...
Good on Paper
Mixed or Average Based on 11 Critic Reviews. 54. 36% Positive 4 Reviews. 45% Mixed 5 Reviews. 18% Negative 2 Reviews. All Reviews; ... Good on Paper wasn't that good as a stand-up segment; as a movie, it should be permanently erased from the memories of anyone unlucky enough to have seen it. ...
Good on Paper
Good on Paper is a 2021 American romantic comedy film, directed by Kimmy Gatewood in her directorial debut, from a screenplay by Iliza Shlesinger. ... On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 51% based on 37 reviews, with the average rating of 5.1/10.
'Good On Paper' Review: Iliza Shlesinger's Smart Dating ...
June 22, 2021 4:18pm. Up until about the last third or so of stand-up comedian Iliza Shlesinger's new Netflix comedy Good on Paper, this clever and engaging film about a disastrous true-life ...
Good on Paper
Directed by Kimmy Gatewood, Good on Paper follows Iliza Shlesinger's Andrea as she meets and befriends Ryan Hansen's affable Dennis but eventually questions how much of his nice-guy exterior is just a facade. There's little doubt that Good on Paper fares best in its innocuous yet entertaining opening stretch, as Shlesinger's easygoing, relatively charming presence is heightened by her ...
Review: Good on Paper
Good on Paper, a Netflix starring vehicle for the talented comedian Iliza Shlesinger, treats the concept that this person is lying as a mind-blowing betrayal, and the sole point of the entire movie. In our swipe-left, swipe-right age, using an outdated photo or exaggerating one's bona fides is almost part and parcel to the dating experience ...
Everything You Need to Know About Good on Paper Movie (2021)
More Info on IMDb. Good on Paper in US theaters June 23, 2021 starring Iliza Shlesinger, Margaret Cho, Rebecca Rittenhouse, Ryan Hansen. Andrea Singer always put her stand-up career first, and while dating came easy, love wasn't a priority... that is until she meets Dennis, a.
The True Story of Iliza Shlesinger's Lying Ex-Boyfriend
Iliza Shlesinger can laugh about it now. But the true-life relationship that inspired her new Netflix movie Good On Paper is still appalling to anyone who hears it for the first time. In the movie ...
Good On Paper Movie Review
When a single woman in her 30s decides to give love a chance, she ends up with a guy who looks very Good On Paper, the problem is that maybe he's not all he pretends to be. An offbeat comedy that sadly doesn't deliver as much as it should. ... And tapping into that world is the basis for the movie ...
Good on Paper Ending, Explained: What Happens to Dennis?
The cut-away scenes are of standup comic Iliza Shlesinger performing a show in front of a live audience. The comedian is the writer of 'Good on Paper,' and also essays the leading role of Andrea. Hence, the jokes that she tells parallel to the film's story are possibly the comedic material that she eventually based her movie on.
Good on Paper ending explained
Good on Paper, Netflix's newest foray into romantic comedies, follows Andrea ( Iliza Shlesinger playing a version of herself), a stand-up comedian and actor that meets a seemingly lovely fellow named Dennis (Ryan Hansen). Their relationship, which at first looks idyllic, ends up being built over a mountain of lies, deceits, and manipulation ...
Good on Paper
Good on Paper waivers between a mystery, a thriller, a gender commentary, a romance and a comedy without hitting any of those particularly deep. It's entertaining, and I was moved along by the film's solid pace to keep going and find out the truth and what Andrea would do when she learns truth - at which point the movie takes an even ...
'Good on Paper' Review: A Rom-Com That Isn't What It Appears to Be
Written by the multi-hyphenate comedian Iliza Shlesinger and directed by the sometimes actress Kimmy Gatewood ("GLOW"), "Good on Paper" presents Ms. Shlesinger's character, Andrea Singer ...
Mark Reviews Movies: GOOD ON PAPER
Follow on Facebook | Follow on Twitter | Become a Patron. Review by Mark Dujsik | June 22, 2021. The story of Good on Paper seems like one of those unfortunate romantic anecdotes you'd tell your friends during a night of reminiscing and/or after a few drinks. It's amusing, filled with a bit of mystery and a few twists, and a little creepy. Everyone listening would laugh and wonder where the ...
Good One movie review & film summary (2024)
The most important things in life happen between the words. Subterranean noise is often louder than dialogue. This is a truth we all experience, but it is challenging to pull off in film, particularly if the subterranean moments are small shifts in consciousness where the character (and audience) understands that nothing will be the same again.
Good One (2024)
Good One, 2024. Written and Directed by India Donaldson. Starring Lily Collias, James Le Gros, Danny McCarthy, Sumaya Bouhbal, Diana Irvine, Sam Lanier, Peter McNally, and Eric Yates. SYNOPSIS ...
'Good One' review: A family camping trip is full of emotional
On its surface, Good One is about a teen on a backpacking trip with her dad and his friend. But the film is so sharp and engrossing you might not notice the deeper story taking shape underneath.
'Good One' Review: Lily Collias Is a Revelation in India Donaldson's
India Donaldson's fantastic feature debut Good One, starring a revelatory Lily Collias, is one of the 2024's absolute best. Read on for our review.
'Good One' Review: Revelation in the Woods
The "good one" of the title is Sam (Lily Collias), who is 17 and on a camping trip with her high-strung father, Chris (James Le Gros), and one of his oldest friends, an underemployed actor ...
Movie Review: Delicate and powerful, 'Good One' is one of the year's
The Associated Press is an independent global news organization dedicated to factual reporting. Founded in 1846, AP today remains the most trusted source of fast, accurate, unbiased news in all formats and the essential provider of the technology and services vital to the news business.
'Good One' review: A teenager grapples with male aggressions
A woodsy hike becomes a Petri dish of human nature in "Good One," writer-director India Donaldson's tense, revealing and exquisitely composed feature debut about a 17-year-old at the cusp of ...