Will (Ben Foster) and his daughter Tom (Thomasin McKensie) are living in a national park out of sight from the world. We learn about how they live and keep hidden, but when a runner spots Tom and reports them to the park rangers they are taken into custody and housed temporarily.

What unfolds are two personal stories that start to diverge the lives of people who love each other. A man with PTSD trying to escape from the world whilst we slowly learn about how broken he is and if he can ever be fixed. A girl who has only ever known her father discovering the world for the first time and learning that she likes it and wants to be with other people.

Both performances are exceptional. Subtle, minimalist and emotional. Foster has always been good but has generally played outwardly intense characters and this gives him a showcase for quieter moments. McKensie, who is only 18 is the true break out performance here. Her ability to convey moments where her character is suppressing excitement at new experiences in order to spare her fathers feelings are fantastic and she is the emotional core of the film.

Director and co-writer Debra Granik’s previous feature film was Winters Bone in 2010 which featured a then 20 year old Jennifer Lawrence and propelled her career to the next level. Granik clearly has an eye for startling young actresses and given the content of both films, a broken American heartland.

It’s a very quietly effective drama that deserves huge plaudits and an audience to see it.