Writer/director Eliza Hittman (Beach Rats) brings her story of what it is like to be a teenage girl to the screen in the stark, sometimes painful Never Rarely Sometimes Always. While it does make a point of how disjointed and traumatic the experience of seeking an abortion must be for a teen, it also struggles to be particularly interesting.
Autumn (Sidney Flanigan) is a typical 17-year-old teenager growing up in Pennsylvania. Unfortunately, she has an apathetic mother and a father who is condescending and dismissive. So, when Autumn finds out she is pregnant, she feels her only option is abortion, but she cannot get one without parental consent. As a result, Autumn and her cousin Skylar (Talia Ryder) plan a bus trip to New York City to gain help without anyone else's knowledge.
The script is almost like a found-footage film, focusing primarily on Autumn or her point-of-view. Following her actions seems more like an intrusion into something very private than a sympathetic story. In what starts as a refreshing change from typical films, there is more reality to the things characters say and do. Still, as the tale continues, it becomes apparent why most scripts leave out the common parts of daily life and focus on the meat. The mundane ultimately becomes a distraction rather than an attraction. The focus being solely on Autumn is a solid tact, but she never reveals enough of herself. This lack of closure on almost every hinted-at detail leaves one with a feeling of dissatisfaction.
Hittman understands the characters and the story much more than the audience will. Despite the lack of substance, her direction is well-executed. There is a fluid honesty to the performances, particularly in the youthful awkwardness of the three leading characters. Newcomer Flanigan and the more experienced Ryder excel at portraying teens who are only just beginning to see the reality of the adult world. This skill is where both the script and the acting excel. The nuance of a perfectly directed expression goes much further than brilliant dialogue ever could. Still, there are some dropped moments where the adults would know better than what the script implies, and this pulls the viewer away from the more crucial points they are trying to convey.
Like the other favorable qualities of this film, the cinematography is subtle but powerful. It is more like a friend with a cell phone, recording Autumn without her knowledge, than a person behind a camera with an actress reciting dialogue. This aspect is another asset that makes an otherwise dull script work on a minimal level.
Never Rarely Sometimes Always is not an easy film to watch, and not just because of the content. The concept is sometimes good, and the acting and directing are always on spot. A movie with these features is rarely worth missing. Unfortunately, in this case, the tale itself never gets off the ground.