Podtalk: Hannah Marks & Mia Isaac of ‘Don’t Make Me Go’

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CHICAGO – Exceptional films that reflect honest relationships are rare, but the latest film “Don’t Make Me Go” – streaming on Prime Video on July 15th – accomplishes the father/daughter dynamic with authentic situations and emotions. John Cho and Mia Isaac portray that relationship, in a film directed by Hannah Marks.

John Cho is Max, a single father raising his 16-year-old daughter Wallace (Mia Isaac), a child from his failed marriage. When Max finds out he has a rare bone tumor, he takes Wallace on a road trip to meet her estranged mother. Winding from California to New Orleans, the pair face off during a series of incidences, including Wallace staying out all night with strangers in Texas. Despite all the travails, they begin to come to terms with the truth, including that mother reluctant to meet her daughter. It all ends up in a surprising conclusion, and changes all lives along the way.

Mia Isaac & John Cho in ‘Don’t Make Me Go,’ Directed by Hannah Marks (inset)
Photo credit: Prime Video

Mia Isaac makes her feature film debut as Wallace, and director Hannah Marks continues her prolific journey as a filmmaker with her third feature. Marks previous films (which she also wrote) were the well-received Indies “After Everything” (2018) and “Mark, Mary and Some Other People” (honored as Best Screenplay at the 2021 Tribeca Film Festival). She is also an actress, with notable roles in “The Amazing Spider-Man” (2012), in addition to the TV series “Necessary Roughness” (2011-13), “Awkward.” (2014-15) and “Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency” (2016-17). She has directed and will appear in the upcoming HULU series “Turtles All the Way Down.”

In a Podtalk with Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com, Mia Isaac and Hannah Marks reflect on creating “Don’t Make Me Go” …

Trailer for “Don’t Make Me Go” …

By PATRICK McDONALD Editor and Film Writer HollywoodChicago.com pat@hollywoodchicago.com