Never Rarely Sometimes Always

Never Rarely Sometimes Always

U.S./U.K., 2020

Never Rarely Sometimes Always was deservedly awarded a special jury prize at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival for Neorealism, even though no such prize exists: it’s a story ripped directly from the fabric of our times. Newcomer Sidney Flanigan is a revelation as the young teen who travels from her small town in Pennsylvania to New York City, where she seeks an abortion amidst a world trying in so many ways not just to deny her, but to crush her spirit. Brilliantly shot on location in Super 16mm by Hélène Louvart, it captures Flanigan braving an inhumane system with a touching mix of tenderness and strength. Real life social worker Kelly Chapman adds another level of realism as a character based on herself.

DCP, color, 101 min. Director: Eliza Hittman. Screenwriter: Eliza Hittman. With: Sidney Flanigan, Talia Ryder, Théodore Pellerin, Kelly Chapman.