Shelve this film in with the many, many other “Pretty Hollywood Actors Downgrade to Play Junkies” movies. Yeah, you’ve seen it all before… but that doesn’t mean this film doesn’t do it well. And it does it with the lurvely Florence Pugh… and Morgan Freeman… which is a combo I never knew I needed.

A Good Person stars Pugh as woman addicted to Oxy after a traffic accident kills some of her fiancé’s family. Now spiraling into dependency and struggling with guilt, she seeks treatment. Morgan Freeman plays a grieving father trying to raise his angry granddaughter.

What I loved about this film is how it’s not simple. These are good people, sure, it’s in the title… but damaged and angry and defiant and flawed. We get good moments mixed with bad. Sad, quiet scenes of both struggle and laughter. Anger and recrimination.

Good Guy Morgan Freeman plays a good guy but that doesn’t make him a saint. He gets angry, he says hurtful things, and he reacts poorly. The film weaponized our familiarity and fondness for Freeman so he can turn in a three dimensional performance that defies expectations.

Pugh ain’t phoning it in either. I’ve seen her play less glamourous roles before but she does a great job with her stripped-down character. No complaints here.

Special commendations for young Celeste O’Connor as the granddaughter. She also gets three whole dimensions as an angry, defiant teen who gets to grow and make mistakes.

That’s what I appreciate most… all the leads play well-rounded, believable people. Basically, I dug this movie because I cared… and that’s despite my cynicism over yet another addiction flick. Sure, on a surface level you may not be surprised by the A to B to C plot progression, but the actors and writing work hard to elevate the familiar. This is a good one.

Score: 87