Never Rarely Sometimes Always

A touching, heartbreaking & bracingly relevant indie that beats at its loudest during the quieter moments in between, Never Rarely Sometimes Always is a small-scale but powerfully resonant drama that tackles its difficult subject matter with prudence & without prejudice, and is wonderfully manoeuvred by the poignant performances from its young ladies.

Written & directed by Eliza Hittman, the premise is a simple one but the emotions it elicits are raw & evocative. The plot is lean, focused & constantly on the move, and Hittman places complete trust in her actors to guide her story to its destination. The characters are sketched with care & compassion, their predicament is firmly rooted in reality, and they are beautifully rendered by the cast.

Sidney Flanigan plays the teenage protagonist seeking medical help in the wake of an unintended pregnancy and the subtleness with which she brings her character's inner turmoil to surface is simply astounding, even more so on realising that it's her acting debut. Talia Ryder deserves a mention too, chipping in with a strong support that's just as impressive if not more as her character is challenged in her own ways.

Overall, Never Rarely Sometimes Always is a sincere, heartfelt & genuinely moving indie drama that benefits from Hittman's composed direction & sensible writing, and is further elevated by emotionally engrossing inputs from both Flanigan & Ryder. The documentary-like approach, silent camerawork & relaxed pace serve as necessities to this performance-driven story while quality work from its cast makes it all the more effective & worthwhile.

I was really impressed by this film. The film making and script worked together so flawlessly to create a story that is so real and interesting and terrifying all at the same time.

The movie is slow but not in a bad way. It takes you along with these characters and makes you almost feel like you are the third person with them on this journey.

I like the stance that the film took with the subject. It didn't give any room for people to have opinions, it just happened. It almost served as an information film about the the struggles and impact that a woman can go though for this procedure in a way that was so 'fly on the wall'. It was like watching 3 days of someone's life.

I think it also shown how difficult it can be to just be a woman in the world and how scary it can be. It didn't do it with big scenes that caused an uproar, it did it with quiet scenes that were just accepted and that makes it even scarier.

I think this film was really well done and really well crafted, the acting was great too. It was one of the indie films that makes you really excited for the world of indie movies.

This film brings us into Autumn's world as she deals with an unintended pregnancy. It it slow paced...the action is subtle, and this is just what makes is so encapsulating and believable. There aren't wild plots twists or sensationalized drama.

The power is in the nuance. Sidney Flanigan gives a strong understated performance that has you feeling to your core for her. I say this as a 32 year old male who has no idea what it is like to be this character.

It was so painful to see how she(and presumably other young woman) get treated by men in this society. It made me question my own actions. I left with a bit more empathy and understanding of a world I was unknowingly oblivious to.

Autumn Callahan (Sidney Flanigan) is an outsider at school. She's also pregnant. Abortions are restricted in her small town Pennsylvania home and she faces many hurdles. She tells her cousin Skylar (Talia Ryder). They steal money from their work and head off to New York City.

This is a sincere pro-choice indie presenting a realistic portrait of a teen girl on her abortion journey. It's not the most dramatic story. The acting is quiet. The drama is muted. I thought the movie may do something with the boy, but it ends up being understated. I certainly understand the simplicity of the story to highlight this issue-centered story. The girls are doing nice work. This is effective for an audience of a certain leaning.

I loved it. Indie Cinema at its very best. The film is raw and real. The characters are raw and real. It doesnt try to make anything spectacular or romantisice its Topic and characters. Almost felt like a documentary. It is also the birth of two very talented Young actresses who will go a Long way. Sidney Flanagan and Talia Ryder, who already is set up in Steven Spielbergs West Side Story Remake. Flanagan has the lead and the more complicated role. She really put a lot of effort into it and you never see this as a Performance but a real human being. Ryder might not have had the more complicated role but this makes her Performance more complicated as she isnt as Showy as Flanagan. But she still puts so much heart and Soul into it. I also loved the dynamic between the two Girls. There is actually not much dialogue exhange between both. Often you think they are strangers but still they stick together and stand by each other. Eliza Hittman nailed it again and invites us into the Soul of two teenage Girls of the new millenium. A strong film.