A Good Person starring Florence Pugh – cheat sheet

A schmaltzy set-up gives way to an altogether darker tale in this film by American actor-director Zach Braff.

What’s it all about?

Allison is a young woman with a near-perfect partner, burgeoning career, and supportive family and friends who––

Sounds sappy as hell

Yeah, that’s just the set-up. Her world falls apart when she survives a nasty traffic accident. She recovers but develops an opioid addiction while being swamped by unresolved grief. Thereafter she forms an unexpected bond with her would-have-been father-in-law that makes us all feel she might just pull her life back together again.

Who’s in it?

Florence (Don’t Worry Darling) Pugh, Morgan (Shawshank) Freeman, and Celeste (Ghostbusters: Afterlife) O’Connor.

Who directs it?

Actor/ director Zach Braff wrote and directed, just as he did with Garden State (2004).

Is there a trailer?

What are people saying?

Critics … not so good. It currently scores a 55% critics approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, but audiences (96% approval) are clearly loving it.

Read: What to watch in April: new to streaming, cinemas and film festivals near you

David Stratton, writing in The Australian, is also a fan:

Pugh gives a mesmerising performance and Freeman, for once cast in a very substantial role, is better than he’s been in several years.

David Stratton, The Australian.

Any trivia?

Zach Braff and Florence Pugh were in a relationship for three years, but broke up in early 2022.

Do say

That was incredibly heartwarming – thankfully, I brought my antacids.

Don’t say

Morgan Freeman was so good I left halfway through, went home, made microwave popcorn and watched The Shawshank Redemption for the eighty-third time.

When can I see it?

A Good Person is in Australian cinemas from 20 April.

Paul Dalgarno is author of the novels A Country of Eternal Light (2023) and Poly (2020); the memoir And You May Find Yourself (2015); and the creative non-fiction book Prudish Nation (2023). He was formerly Deputy Editor of The Conversation and joined ScreenHub as Managing Editor in 2022. X: @pauldalgarno. Insta: @dalgarnowrites