Review of Never Rarely Sometimes Always (2020) by Jluis_001 — 08 Apr 2020

In essence, the story of Never Rarely Sometimes Always has nothing complicated to explain. It's a story about teen pregnancy and abortion but if you might tell it to someone else that way you would be selling it too cheaply.

Autumn (Sidney Flanigan) the protagonist is in need of an abortion but the laws of her state require parental permission to execute it.

Unable to work out the situation by herself, she and her cousin - who discovers her secret - decide to embark to New York to carry out the procedure.

The outstanding resources of this film lies in the solid performance of its lead actress and the great work the director does by not allowing a story that could be easily lent to melodrama, to fall into it.

The story never tries to make Autumn's experience something more than what it is and that's essential because that keeps the story rooted where it needs to be.

And although the experience can be replicated and as a viewer and person you fully understand that this occurr to countless many young women; Never Rarely Sometimes Always is Autumn's experience and both the director and the main character give a strong voice to the subject and deliver a raw but revealing film.

The negative element? The victimization of its protagonist.

As I said, melodrama is avoided but despite the pro-abortion message, the director can't help but portray Autumn as an innocent and tormented young woman unable to fully weigh her situation or to think it more through.

I cannot deny the experience is traumatic for young women, but I suppose the film should also try to give the message that it's not the end of the world, even understanding the situations that overwhelm the character, such as the sequence that it provides the title to the film.

That's the reason why I didn't give it an 8.