Never Rarely Sometimes Always isn’t a flashy movie, but that’s part of its unnerving power. With her empathetic camera and transcendent storytelling, Hittman elevates their story — so ordinary-seeming on the page — to a great lyrical odyssey.
Perfectly pitched and sensitively played, this is truthful, powerful and profoundly moving fare from a film-maker at the very top of her game.
The performance of Flanagan, a first-time actress, is both harrowing and possessed of an eloquence that has no need for words. You come away from this movie weeping for the Autumns of this world but awed by their endurance.
With empathy and outrage that cut equally deeply, Hittman reminds us: This is a girl’s life in a man’s world.
This tough-minded, forthright and exquisitely tender film transcends polemics. It’s the odyssey of a lost child in poorly charted territory.
In “Never Rarely,” the hurdles to an abortion are as legion as they are maddening and pedestrian, a blunt political truism that Hittman brilliantly connects to women’s fight for emancipation.
The glory of Hittman’s film is in finding those moments of beauty among the brutal silences, and the magnetic grace that can be found in a person’s most difficult days.
There’s no need to heavily editorialize here; Hittman is an assured enough filmmaker to portray this drama honestly and non-manipulatively, trusting her audience to interpret the complicated heartbreak of Autumn’s predicament without having to explain it to them.
At once dreamlike and ruthlessly naturalistic, steadily composed yet shot through with roiling currents of anxiety, Never Rarely Sometimes Always is a quietly devastating gem.
What an extraordinary film this is.
An understated but highly effective drama in which, even if you don’t condone Autumn’s decision, you still feel her mounting concern as the complications lead to more delays, and therefore more expenses. The scene from which the title derives is incredible, because Autumn’s reactions to the questions say it all.
I think this movie is very good. Contrary to what you might think, there is no general insult to all men in this movie. Okay, there are situations that the men in the movie do to women, such as harassment, forcing sexual intercourse, but here we are witnessing more of a woman's troubles. There are tons of movies about men going to war and suffering there. Why not movies like this that talk about the hardships of women? I don't understand why you took your red pills and ran to this movie.
This is the movie that we need right now, the most sadly and painfully real movie of the year.
Несмотря на то что фильм крайне давит феминистической повесткой (все положительные персонажи - женщины, все отрицательные персонажи - мужчины) и порой желание сценаристки показать мужчин сволочами выходит совсем комичным (отчим главной героини называет свою собаку "маленькой шлюшкой", потому что "ей это нравится") он весьма неплох. Может из-за потрясающей актёрской игры главных актрис, может из-за напирающей на реализм съёмки, но все два часа мне было крайне интересно чем всё закончится, хотя в фильме, по большому счёту не происходило ничего. Момент же, когда во второй половине фильма героиня проходит психологический тест (на который надо ответить одним из вариантов "никогда / редко / иногда / всегда") и из её эмоций при ответах мы понимаем что же именно произошло, просто гениальный. В общем, если не сильно пугает что фильм акцентирует внимание на том "как же парням везёт, у них даже месячных нет", то посмотреть стоит.
All the people who gave this movie low scores should at least admit that they haven't watched it! It is one of the best films of the year.
Great movie esp. given the budget. Two female stars superb. If you look at the script, you can see the nasty political messages (men are evil, abortion providers are the only ones who care about young women) largely removed from the final film. Alas, they remain in the supposedly 'best' sequence (the questionnaire) where, if the film were true to Autumn's character, the girl would see in these intrusive, nosy questions (about a "partner" she doesn't even have) the same adult intimidation she's already learned to live with but hates.
Almost 2k negative reviews for an indie film that wasn't even a major awards contender. No doubt there's a pro-life group behind this review bombing (funny how the actual negative reviews only amount to less than 10, they can't even elaborate why this is a bad film in their view)
This was a touching film with a message. No wonder it won Sundance. Thought it was really nicely made.
The movie is embarassing. Ridiculous acting, boring, slow pacing and full of cliches. The "critics" must have been paid to rate this thing 91...
I actually bumped up the rating due to the amount of negative reviews due to politics. But despite that this film is just bad the actors seem like they are acting in a middle school play they dont want to be in and the story is just generally dull. The only reason i can see this being so critically praised is due to the topic matter is depicts but overall this is just a bad movie.
As a male person, I think the movie can make you feel the empathy that most of people can never relate with. I wouldn't consider as feminist or misandrist movie. Yea the movie didn't show any good/nice men but it doesn't mean all men are bad/evil. Just try to understand the process of person's struggle.
Is it a story? Or a statement? This indie offering about a pregnant Pennsylvania teen who travels to New York City to obtain an abortion seeks to combine story threads about this controversial subject with an adolescent finding herself over her head on the streets of the big city. Unfortunately, the two don't mesh well, creating a film that struggles desperately to find its feet. To its credit, director Eliza Hittman's latest effectively presents a balanced view of this hot button topic and sensitively portrays the fear that an adolescent in this position might experience, thanks in large part to the outstanding lead performance of newcomer Sidney Flanigan. However, the film's unfocused intent, sometimes-sluggish pacing, obvious thematic allusions and uneven (sometimes contradictory) character development get in the way, leaving viewers wondering exactly what the director was going for here. Despite the many inflated accolades this one has received, considerable fine tuning is definitely in order here.
Profound, Meaningful, Fantastic, and Important! A Tale of beautiful and believable friendship that shows its strength through the most challenging times. Never Rarely Sometimes Always shows the light at the end of the tunnel by letting us pass the darkest tunnel. Is it perfect? No. Is it essential? Damn straight.
It is a competent photograph on what it is like to be on an abortion process as a teenager, but those who are not foreign to the topic might find not much to take away from it. It took me a while to understand that the protagonist being hard to empatize with was a conscient choice and the message it delivers is quite a cherry on top that brings it to another level.
How this movie has a 0.7 rating from users is really disheartening. Got to catch a screening at Sundance last year and it was easily one of the most powerful films of the fest. I don’t if it’s a film I could ever watch again but it’s something everyone should experience. Eliza Hittman is really a director to watch for she’s been on my radar since she dropped beach rats a few years back. Please don’t let the horrendous user score sway you away.
It is so sad to see that Metacritic doesn't do anything against sexist fake commenters that just logged on here to give this amazing film a bad grade.
A tragic and tender portrait of the plight of the young, American woman. At its core it is a beautiful and powerful telling of sisterhood and stolen girlhood under the leering male gaze. It will make you feel sympathy, discomfort, and (hopefully) outrage. This is a fragile moment captured in raw Americana imagery from sleepy, rural landscapes to the gritty, florescent city. It is grounded in the deep and tired eyes of the powerhouse leads. Strength, loyalty, and bravery supersede the dark forces and realities facing the teens and so many women. A must watch.
Painfully truthful, touching and deep. Not everyone would understand the experience of these young girls.People might say "oh why she didnt do this or that" - did anyone teach them? Was anyone close enough to support? They were doing best of what they could understand and know. If you know more - congrats, bravo, take a medal, we all know you always know what to do in any situation. Just kindly take your zero back and leave the page.
Seeing this user rating trend is exactly the reason why I gave up on the reliability of this site. This was one of the few great films to come out this year. By no means perfect, but a fantastically grounded and no-bull depiction and representation of the trauma and control women must face in certain US states. I found it eye-opening for sure, and the lead performance was deeply impactful and devastating at times. I don't understand the cancel mentality people have on this site. There's a 0-10 scale for a reason. I would also hazard a guess that at the very least 60% of the negative reviews are from users who never watched the film. This site is one of the most cancerous on the web. Thank you and see you all again never.
Cru e desconfortável. Um tema tão necessário visto da forma mais realista possível. É incrível como um filme tão simples tecnicamente pode causar tantas coisas em quem assiste.
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