Will and his teenage daughter, Tom, have lived off the grid for years in the forests of Portland, Oregon. When their idyllic life is shattered, both are put into social services. After clashing with their new surroundings, Will and Tom set off on a harrowing journey back to their wild homeland. 

Leave no trace could have been a judgemental, sensationalist movie with a specific political agenda. It could have been what you would expect from a film dealing with a father and daughter living off the grid and clashing with authorities. Instead, it lets its subjects get on with their life and quietly documents the events that make them question their ways. Simple storytelling at its most powerful, at its most overwhelming. No hysterics, no violent episodes. The most powerful scenes are the quiet moments between father and daughter.

Ben Foster delivers a subtle performance as the brooding, disturbed father trying to do his best, but fraying at the edges. Thomasin McKenzie is a revelation as the soft-spoken, mild-mannered daughter who simply takes charge when necessary and finds her own footing, even if it means going against her fragile father. She takes care of him with such empathy and love.

The film ultimately questions issues such as living off the grid versus needing community, broken soldiers coming home, forced assimilation into society and religion, and father-daughter relationships. It questions these issues without taking a definitive stand on any of them. The film gives you room to breathe and perhaps even see both sides of the coin.

Highly recommended.