Never Rarely Sometimes Always

Parenthood comes with a wealth of joy – for those individuals who are ready to bring a new life into the world, of course. In the case of Autumn (Sidney Flanigan), it’s little more complicated. Being a teenager is hard enough; being an unintentionally pregnant one is a different story altogether.

Never Rarely Sometimes Always follows Autumn and her cousin Skylar (Talia Ryder) as they venture out of their hometown in rural Pennsylvania to seek professional help for Autumn’s pregnancy. The road ahead is by no means an easy one. Tackling the prospect of having to complete her third trimester, and in secret, the adolescent is overwhelmed with guilt and worry. As the narrative progresses, viewers get an insight into the dark nature of Autumn’s relationship with her partner, and before long, a debate about abuse and domestic violence is thrust into the spotlight.   

Written and directed by Eliza Hittman, the film focuses on the identity crisis that can often take hold when people undergo certain experiences too early in life. Autumn and Skylar spend much of their time walking around trying to make sense of the world around them without really acknowledging the outcome brought about by their decisions. These emotions are true to the human condition, and it’s safe to say that Hittman sheds light on the confusion of youth credibly; however, had the story further developed Autumn’s relationship with her family, giving viewers a reason as to why the former should need to keep her unborn child a secret from them, the story’s stakes would have been higher, giving the feature more of an edge.   

Ghazaleh Golpira

Never Rarely Sometimes Always is released digitally on demand on 13^th May 2020.

Watch the trailer for Never Rarely Sometimes Always here: