

After an overnight long-distance drive, Joby has a special meeting—with lawyers and his ex-wife. A struggling musician with the prerequisite tattoos, slimy hair, goatee, and his head firmly floating in the clouds, Joby hasn’t been around to be a dad. Now is his last chance to fight for shared custody of his daughter, Ellen.
Acting
Paul Dano's desperate, muttering physicality.
Direction
So Yong Kim's intimate, unflinching close-ups.
Cinematography
Bleak winter light swallowing hope whole.

Director
So Yong Kim
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
So Yong Kim shot this during a real Minnesota winter, with Paul Dano improvising much of his muttered dialogue.
Jon Heder's character Fred was originally written as comic relief, but Dano and Heder played it as genuine, awkward male friendship instead.