Never Rarely Sometimes Always (indie film #6) in Independent Film 2020

My favorite film podcast hosts, (Filmspotting) recommended this small film. Someone even likened it to a movie i loved either last year or the year before (Leave No Trace). This one follows a type of movie i always love- slow sad slice of life with a neutral (or sad) ending.

A 17 year old girl from rural Pennsylvania goes to NYC with her cousin and no one else knowing, to get an abortion. She thinks she is 10 weeks along, but it turns out she is 18 weeks and has to stay the night because it is a 2 day procedure. They had not planned that and find themselves figuring out how and what to do. What is implied, but never clear, is who the father is and how abusive he has been. In this movie all men are predators, even the ones who seem to be “nice”. It shows the reality for 17 year old girls.

I’d watch this, especially if you are a man, to see what it is like to be a young woman and very vulnerable. And to see what the predatory nature of men do to the psyche of a young woman. Don’t watch this and think it’s a one-off. Women deal with this type of abuse from men all the time in subtle and obvious ways.