Movie Reviews

Movie Review: “Never Rarely Sometimes Always” Triumphantly Captures The Vulnerabilities Of Abortion In A Devastating And Haunting Portrait


 

A pair of teenage girls in rural Pennsylvania travel to New York City to seek out medical help after an unintended pregnancy.

“Never Rarely Sometimes Always” is a shocking revelation to those that will never experience the fear and uncertainty of unexpected pregnancy. That fear and uncertainty grows if the pregnancy is unwanted, and more so in an area where abortion is not an accessible resource. It is a narrative that breaks my heart due to how often it occurs to reproductively viable women. In the United States, almost 50 percent of pregnancies are unexpected – in numbers, that is a total of 2.8 million people every year. Globally, 62 out of every 100 women experience unwanted pregnancies. Despite the number of women that go through this experience, abortion continues to be a limited accessibility procedure. “Never Rarely Sometimes Always” accurately portrays the acute dangers that come with a lack of accessibility to abortion without losing the value of a woman’s journey through its process.

Sidney Flanigan plays Autumn, a young teen living in the state of Pennsylvania, who discovers that she is unexpectedly pregnant. Her performance as a stubborn yet vulnerable teen is exemplified through apathetic expressions amidst a chaotic circumstance where she finds that abortion in Pennsylvania requires the consent of a parent. Rather than confronting the parents with her truth, she chooses to travel to New York to acquire the abortion on her own. Or so she thought.

“Never Rarely Sometimes Always” explores the conversation of abortion that needs to take place in a setting without its accessibility, but it is also a very intimate portrayal of a deep friendship between Autumn and her cousin Skylar. Skylar, played by Talia Ryder, offers the most unconditional support for Autumn she can give. Skylar does not question the circumstances. She rolls with it instead. Skylar does everything in her power to give Autumn the money, situation control, and acceptance to pull through with the abortion.

While Autumn is often silently commiserating the fears, anxiety, and panic she feels due to the life in her belly, Skylar refuses to give those fears, anxiety, and panic a voice. Even when Autumn becomes resistant to Skylar’s compassion, Skylar does not falter from reminding Autumn of what she came to New York to do.

Autumn starts as a stubborn teen, but she ends the journey transformed into a disillusioned and vulnerable woman. This is a process that is not unfamiliar to the women in the world who are victimized by their circumstances and forced to become survivors. I struggled to relate to Autumn in moments of her shallow strength, but her breaking point became mine and my heart went out to all the strong women who experienced a similar journey.

My favorite aspect of the film is how accurately it portrays the steps of receiving care from Planned Parenthood. The director, Eliza Hittman, chose to film in an existing location in New York to preserve the authenticity of the journey, showing even the process of security checkpoints and advisor meetings with each healthcare provider. Rather than romanticizing New York, director Hittman also strives to capture an uncomfortable presence that the city brings to the girls. New York in this movie made me feel out of place and lonely, a set of emotions that the girls must have felt throughout their journey from Pennsylvania.

“Never Rarely Sometimes Always” is a love letter to all the women who struggle against a system that was not built for them. It is also a love letter to all the strong women that surround the vulnerable ones, a strong reminder to support the women around you because strong women support other women.

 

In Select Theaters Friday, March 13th

 

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Dianne Chung

Dianne is a recent graduate from the University of California, Berkeley. She has a passion for writing, graduating with a minor in Journalism with the hopes of bridging the gap of knowledge and communication between healthcare professionals and the general public. Dianne's experience in writing ranges from publishing various articles in the Berkeley Student Journal of Asian Studies, contributing literature reviews to her public health publications, and posting on her blog detailing the struggles in living with the intersectionality of her identity. She is excited to come on board the Irish Film Critic crew to continue polishing her writing techniques while enjoying movies in pop culture to make sure she doesn't fall behind in the ability to small talk with strangers.