Year: 2020
Director: Eliza Hittman
Country: US
Language: English
There are many who find having children miraculous & life-affirming, but I've never felt that way. Even prior to watching Rosemary's Baby (1968) pregnancy has always been a scary topic for me. I don't know what I would choose (or encourage since I'm a wombless male) if I/mypartner were in that situation. Though I'm pro-life I know that abortion would be extremely mentally difficult to do. Thus I got a vasectomy in May so I don't have to choose/encourage that. Unfortunately, the character in Never Rarely Sometimes Always doesn't get that choice.
Autumn (Sidney Flanigan) and Skylar (Talla Ryder) travel from Rural Pennsylvania to New York City to seek out medical help after an unintended pregnancy.
Not having had to look for an abortion, I wasn't fully aware of the difficulties women face when seeking one. Never Rarely Sometimes Always was eye opening in regards to how bureaucratic & frustrating the option is. Autumn has to deal with the well meaning anti-abortion Christian lady, innacurate pregnancy tests, travelling to uknown destinations, sleepless nights and protesters, among other obstacles. Even I was exhausted by her difficulties.
The film also exposes how creepy men can be. Even seemingly innocent genstures, such as a "hello" from a young man, comes off as weird. Perhaps Director Eliza Hittman's point was that women always have to be on edge, because every "normal" encounter is met with more perverted ones. It really makes me review how I've behaved, if my gestures caused harm & if there's anything I can do about it.
Never Rarely Sometimes Always is a necessary film that ought to do a lot of social good if a lot of people see it. It exposes the reality of living in the US and is likely a truth in many other countries as well. 25% of all the countries in the world haven't legalized abortion! It's not an easy film to get through, but watch it for your own good.
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