Review of Always Shine (2016) by Farah R — 05 Mar 2018

Always Shine is a curiosity. It resembles films you probably didn't think were very good and contains plot points you've seen countless times: the sufferings of twenty-something female actresses, switching identities, thrillers that feature remote locations with spotty cell phone service, and a quality of writing, depth of content, and ability to provoke thought that rarely rise above a straight-to-video level. However Always Shine takes that multitude of B-movie tropes and crafts a first-rate commentary on society's attitudes towards women and women's attitudes towards one another.

It begins rather ingeniously by showing what appear to be the screen tests of two young actresses. The first interaction is revealed to be one, so the audience can comfortably assume the second one is as well. But the latter is happening to the actress in her real life, and those two scenes set up the narratives explored throughout Always Shine.

The seemingly one-dimensional character portrayals were necessary vehicles in which director Sophia Takal could best tell her story. One woman is punished by society for never backing down, and her best friend seems to be handed everything by never standing up. Even though Always Shine can seem like it only scratches the surface, those scratches are deep enough for the audience to open up and see what Takal is trying to reveal.