The Short History of the Long Road

Teenager Nola (Sabrina Carpenter) travels and lives off the grid in a van with her father Clint (Steven Ogg). Suddenly, her father dies and she sets off on her own. It's a struggle. She encounters religious do-gooder Marcie, garage owner Miguel (Danny Trejo), and troubled teen Blue. All the while, she dreams of finding her long absent mother Cheryl.

This is an interesting off-the-grid and coming-of-age story. It threatens to be something more intense but it never really push it to the next level. Despite the dangers of the road, she finds only people who are helpful to varying degrees. It is highlighted by a very deep performance from Sabrina Carpenter. One thing I would do is to make the van a much bigger presence. It is the center of many situations and ends up being the final talisman. This is a terrific performance from a young actress in a somewhat compelling story.