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Dakota Johnson Is Actually Great in Daddio

Sean Penn is better than he’s been in years in Christy Hall’s old-fashioned strangers-in-a-cab drama. But Johnson nearly acts him off the screen.

Those of us who remember the days when Sean Penn was widely regarded as one of the best actors of his generation will be pleased with his entertaining turn as a gruff motormouthed cabbie in writer-director Christy Hall’s Daddio, a film set within the confines of a taxi over the course of one New York night. Partly, Johnson’s character (known in the credits simply as “Girlie”) is distracted: She’s receiving texts throughout from what appears to be a very horny and very drunk boyfriend, who sends her dick pics and lusty admonitions, and she’s unsure about answering them. “You’re never gonna see me again.”) As the actress balances the restraint of this introverted character with the dramatic demands of a screenplay built entirely on conversation, we’re right there with her, watching these small tales of suspense play out on her face.

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