Never Rarely Sometimes Always (2020), directed by Eliza Hittner

Autumn is 17, living in rural Pennsylvania with her mother, deadbeat stepfather and two, much younger stepsisters. There is something NQR about the stepfather, which probably explains why Autumn can’t turn to her seemingly loving mother when she hits trouble. Talented and sensitive, life in a small town doesn’t offer her much and the only person totally in her corner is her resourceful cousin and best friend Skylar. The two scrape up the money to get to New York, two very long bus rides away, but the task turns out to be even more expensive and difficult than they realised. It’s one thing to be aware of how difficult it can be to access abortion in the US, especially when you are underage, poor and live in a rural area, it’s quite another to watch it unfold in all its stark reality on screen. Getting basic health care is a monumental quest for these young women, on top of the constant low to mid-level sexual harassment that is a daily hazard for them. The film gives a bleak view of their world that rings heartbreakingly true. The minimalist and matter-of-fact style, with little dialogue, feels almost more like a documentary than a drama, especially in the sequences featuring NY health care professionals and the local ‘women’s centre’. Compare and contrast. Newcomers Sidney Flanigan and Talia Ryder excel as the cousins; Theodore Pellerin is very good as the least worst option; and Ryan Eggold plays against his TV type as the creepy stepfather. This is a timely exposition of an intolerable situation, in a country where women’s rights are increasingly under threat. It makes an interesting companion piece to Promising Young Woman. The film underlines the vital importance of female friendship, support and advocacy as the key to survival and to making change to a society not built for women.