Independent film distributor A24 is not one to shy away from provocative projects.
Following in the same rowdy footsteps as the company’s 2012 hit Spring Breakers while keeping to a similar aesthetic as 2017’s The Florida Project, comes Never Goin’ Back. Set in an undisclosed small town in Texas, writer/director Augustine Frizzell’s gritty girl drama is a mad dash of teenage woes, plans gone awry, and constipation, all set against a backdrop of an anticipated idyllic vacation getaway.
Angela (Maia Mitchell) and Jessie (Cami Morrone) are best friends- they share their bed, their job, and even their drug habit. It’s no question, then, that Angela would pull out all the stops for Jessie’s 17th birthday by surprising her with a trip to Galveston to chill at the beach and celebrate seventeen in style. Figuring it was a good idea to use next month’s rent money to pay for the trip, with no financial security net to fall back on (you can see where the film is going…), the girls figure that another week’s worth waitressing wages from the town’s local diner would be all the money they need to make up for the rent. Having dropped out of high school to make quick cash, this job is all they have. What they didn’t account for is getting fired from their job, losing all their money, and eating so many weed edibles they can’t think straight.
From that summary, it’s clear that Never Goin’ Back shouldn’t be pigeon-holed as solely a drama, in fact, it is hard to justify how this is even a “drama” at all. The film’s hijinks start almost immediately after a robbery gone wrong, due to a shady deal by Jessie’s brother Dustin (Joel Allen), that ends up with both girls in jail for completely unrelated charges. Angela and Jessie hit rock bottom multiple times throughout the film, and each time is more over-the-top and outlandish than the last.
What is refreshing about ‘Never Goin’ Back’ is the fact that the story doesn’t center around a boyfriend, a crush, or any love interest whatsoever.
The performances from Mitchell and Morrone are strong. As two overly-confident and brash teenagers, the duo makes their relationship as “best friends forever” incredibly believable. Much in the same way the Spring Breakers girls were overly affectionate with each other and had a touchy-feely codependency about them, Angela and Jessie are also very hands-on and physical. Taking charge as more of the leader, Mitchell plays Angela with a slight arrogance, but the little rays of admirable qualities make her watchable. Morrone plays the slightly (keyword: slightly) more responsible one who ultimately gives in to Angela’s peer pressuring and follows her as they both continue to make terrible decisions. Kyle Mooney has a supporting role as the girls’ creepy roommate Brandon, and his performance is everything you’d expect a Mooney performance to be: funny.
What is refreshing about Never Goin’ Back is the fact that the story doesn’t center around a boyfriend, a crush, or any love interest whatsoever. This is an ode to the power of female friendships, no matter how dysfunctional or troublesome they may be. There are moments that seem to blur the line between what their relationship actually is- platonic, romantic, etc. -however it is never addressed as queer or bi-curious. Relationship dissecting aside, the absence of sexual desire is what makes Never Goin’ Back this summer’s millennial feminist flick. A comedy of errors from start to finish, Never Goin’ Back may be anxiety-ridden and stressful but it’s definitely not boring.
‘Never Goin’ Back’ is rated R for crude sexual content and language throughout, drug use and brief nudity – all involving teens. 85 minutes. Opening today at ArcLight Hollywood.
