'Never Rarely Sometimes Always' Review

 
PG-13: Disturbing/mature thematic content, language, some sexual references and teen drinkingRuntime: 1 Hour and 41 MinutesProduction Companies: Tango Entertainment, BBC Films, Mutressa Movies, Pastel ProductionsDistributor: Focus FeaturesDirector: Eliza HittmanWriter: Eliza HittmanCast: Sidney Flanigan, Talia Ryder, Théodore Pellerin, Ryan Eggold, Sharon Van EttenRelease Date: March 13, 2020
Faced with an unintended pregnancy and a lack of local support, Autumn (Sidney Flanigan) and her cousin Skylar (Talia Ryder) embark across state lines to New York City on a fraught journey of friendship, bravery, and compassion.
Out of the many films I saw during Sundance earlier this year, Eliza Hittman’s latest feature, Never Rarely Sometimes Always, was one of the heavy-hitting narratives that struck me the most. The film focuses on a Pennsylvanian high school girl named Autumn who experiences an unexpected pregnancy and must travel to NYC with her cousin Skylar to get an abortion. Getting one in her home state requires parental consent and she wants to keep this on the down-low.
Admittedly, I was initially hesitant about watching this film, especially after reading the synopsis. It seemed melodramatic, schmaltzy, or like a commercial for Planned Parenthood. However, Hittman avoids all of the ample trappings this story could’ve delved into by injecting a large dosage of realism through the quiet atmosphere that it’s built upon. One of the major strengths that helps this story succeed is the balance of the many elements it holds. On one hand, the movie is a great observation of abortion laws in different states and has subtle, urgent commentary regarding access to medical care. Yet, at its heart, it’s about Autumn and Skylar and the journey they embark on. After its well-executed first act where you feel the weight and stress of Autumn’s unplanned pregnancy and some harrowing, gut-wrenching moments, the story transitions into a rather tense adventure where these two cousins have to go to New York to a Panned Parenthood facility to get an abortion.The performances by the leads, Sidney Flanigan and Talia Ryder, are incredible. This is Sidney Flanigan’s feature debut and she delivers such a powerful breakout performance as the lead. Although Autumn is relatively quiet, you can easily read everything that she’s feeling inside throughout her terrifying experience. She is emotionally isolated and internally fuming with anger. As she shows some external contempt, sometimes taking it out on Skylar, you know it’s out of fear mixed with a variety of other emotions. When Autumn reaches Planned Parenthood and is walked through the process, Flanigan nails the clashing emotions flawlessly with such a raw and honest scene, leaving me in tears. After that scene ended, I wrote down in my notebook, “I don’t know who this girl is at all but… Academy Award?” Talia Ryder, who plays Skylar, is the more vocal and emotional support system for Autumn. It’s their loving familial dynamic that makes you root for them and immerses you into the story. They exhibit a loving bond and, as the film progresses, you end up caring so much for the two. As a New Yorker, Hittman is the first director in a long time that authentically captured the many facets of the city at its best, worst, and weirdest. Hittman takes advantage of all of the locations her characters travel to. Even though it’s a feature, there were times where it felt similar to the style of cinéma vérité. As Autumn and Skylar are trying to cough up what little money they have to pay for a MetroCard, passing time in Port Authority, pulling an all-nighter, it rings true to the aura the city embodies. It gave me a vibe similar to The Terminal where the girls are stuck in one large space and they visit every area within it. Autumn and Skylar travel to a Planned Parenthood building that’s located on Court Street in Brooklyn, New York, an area I know inside out. At first, I was in a state of disbelief and thought that Hittman created the set and shot there, but when I looked up ‘Planned Parenthood in Brooklyn’ out of curiosity, it turned out to be a real location. I didn’t know they had a Planned Parenthood building there! It’s nice to know that now.
Another aspect I love about the film is that it quietly tells you that men ain’t shit. Every single male is an asshole or a creep… sometimes both. There's a brief moment where the girls are on an empty subway cart late at night/early in the morning and they look towards a gross man a few seats down who masturbates while looking at them. As I said, it captures the authentic nature of the city and all its disgusting imperfections. That being said, they do have to succumb to the creepy gazes as a sacrifice. Out of the many chilling moments it offers, there is a sacrifice Skylar makes for Autumn regarding a fuckboi (Ryan Eggold), whose presence becomes prominent later on, and that scene moved me to my core. As quiet as the atmosphere of Never Rarely Sometimes Always is, Eliza Hittman’s booming voice through her raw and honest vision, storytelling, and the incredible performances of her leads makes this one of the most poignant narratives of the year. This just won the Berlin Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize and it’s truly what it deserves. Rating: 4.5/5 | 92%