2020 felt like the world turned itself upside down through events we never could have imagined. Still, a quiet story emerged about an age-old worldwide issue (one that could have been told in any year and still be relevant). I found Never Rarely Sometimes Always the most memorable, honest, and authentic film of the year.

Eliza Hittman (It Felt Like Love, Beach Rats) crafted a tender, heartfelt film released amid a worldwide pandemic. Never Rarely Sometimes Always tells the story of Autumn (Sidney Flanigan in her film debut), a quiet, subdued 17-year-old girl from a small, rural town in Pennsylvania. Outwardly, she appears just like any other high school senior. When we first meet her, she sings a solo at a school talent show, where she shows far more ability than her classmates, who either lip-sync or perform dance routines instead. Unfortunately, this first scene doesn’t reflect the feelings Autumn is holding inside.

We learn very early that Autumn is pregnant and doesn’t want to continue the pregnancy. Autumn is a very layered character. We learn more and more about her as the film progresses, but we become aware of a few things from the very start, some of which are inferred, while some could be implied. We learn that Autumn is a loner and not incredibly close to anyone else. She has a stable home life in a supportive but conservative family. Though there is love, it’s distant. Her mother is unassuming about her daughter, while her father is somewhat aloof. We don’t have to be around either parent for very long to know that an announced pregnancy will not go over well.

We also learn that Autumn is very firm about who she is and what she believes. She has no interest in having this baby. After learning that Pennsylvania’s state requires parental consent for anybody under the age of 18 to have an abortion, Autumn tries to end the pregnancy herself after reading up online on ways to self-abort. When these don’t work, she enlists the help of her cousin Skylar (newcomer Talia Ryder), her co-worker at a local grocery store, and, perhaps, her only real friend.

They conjure up a plan to take the bus to New York City to get an abortion. Never glossy, Never Rarely Sometimes Always keeps our protagonist in focus the whole time. We become such a part of this character that it feels like we will get an abortion. While we don’t get a complete backstory, it never feels like Autumn is someone who experienced much pleasure in her life, or likely ever would. But this unwanted pregnancy that she’s forced to deal with, minus the guidance of an adult figure in her life, only adds to her sad life.

Never Rarely Sometimes Always has what may be the most uncomfortable scene you’ll see all year. It’s not squirmish. It doesn’t involve our heroine suffering some physical torture or addiction. It also doesn’t go to extreme measures in her trying to end her pregnancy (though I won’t say that this attempt is entirely out of the question). It’s a scene where Autumn is at the abortion clinic and is asked a series of questions as she tries to gather information for a care plan, in case a care plan is needed if the pregnancy resulted in consent or not. The questions probe and get more invasive as they progress. Though she is no more than three to four months into her pregnancy, it becomes evident that Autumn has suppressed as many of the memories associated with it as she could. As she attempts to answer each question with a response of never, rarely, sometimes, or always, the gamut of emotions plays out on her face. It can be tough to watch. This movie will be memorable for many. This scene will stay with everyone. We never find out who is responsible for Autumn’s pregnancy or what the circumstances were, but her answers to questions about how she consented to sexual contact were not “always.”

Throughout this movie, a prevalent theme is that men have one main interest in young, pretty women and think they have some control over them. Whether it be the boy at the restaurant who made an obscene gesture towards Autumn, the older men at her work who try to pick her up, the man who looks at her uncomfortably on the subway, Jasper, who is willing to give the girls money if Skylar will make out with him, or the elephant in the room that isn’t explicitly addressed, which is the man responsible for why Autumn is in her current position.

Never Rarely Sometimes Always is not a movie for everyone. It is excellently directed and presents a life-altering event in a subdued way. Autumn isn’t dramatic when she learns she is pregnant. Perhaps she expected it and dreaded it. That doesn’t mean Autumn isn’t upset or saddened by this news. But she internalizes it because she knows only Skylar can provide the comfort she needs. Her parents cannot offer her what she needs. It’s a sad, realistic, and necessary movie. It’s not a movie many people will go out of their way to see. Many people who should see it might not.

Plot 9/10
Character Development 9/10
Character Chemistry 9/10
Acting 9.5/10
Screenplay 9/10
Directing 8.5/10
Cinematography 8.5/10
Sound 7.5/10
Hook and Reel 8/10
Universal Relevance 10/10
88%

B+

Movies You Might Like If You Liked This Movie

• Palo Alto
• Precious
• It Felt Like Love
• Hala
• A Girl Like Her