2017 was an unprecedented year for female raunchy comedies. In the summer alone we got Snatched, Rough Night and the best, Girls Trip. The Oscar snubbed Girls Trip. Never Goin’ Back fits firmly in that tradition to keep the girl power going.
Maia Mitchell and Cami Morrone appear in Never Goin’ Back by Augustine Frizzell, an official selection of the Midnight program at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival. Courtesy of Sundance Institute | photo by Clay Grier. All photos are copyrighted and may be used by press only for the purpose of news or editorial coverage of Sundance Institute programs. Photos must be accompanied by a credit to the photographer and/or ‘Courtesy of Sundance Institute.’ Unauthorized use, alteration, reproduction or sale of logos and/or photos is strictly prohibited.
Best friends (and lovers) Jessie (Camila Morrone) and Angela (Maia Mitchel) are planning a beach getaway to Galveston. Their plans hit a snag when their drug dealer roommate gets them robbed and arrested for possession, and their money problems spiral out from there.
The first thing is that these girls are so endearing you could spend any time with them. And it’s often hard to get me to relate fuck-ups who don’t have their life together, but Never Goin’ Back proves I’m not a hard ass. First of all, they’re 17. Living on your own is pretty damn good for 17. Sure, I don’t support doing drugs but kids gonna experiment. They do try to purge the pot brownies. They weren’t planning to be publicly high and they had planned to work off this trip. Mainly, Jesse and Angela don’t blame anyone else. They try to fix things and those comic misadventures are fun.
They definitely have each other’s backs and Angela stands up for Jessie against judgmental strangers. That guy gets his comeuppance later anyway. Everything they’ve been through pays off in the end. It’s a pretty elaborate daisy chain of setups. They have criminal ideas but they’re so endearing it’s charming. I don’t even think they’ll succeed so I’m not really worried about destroying the fabric of society.
Mitchell and Morrone are fabulous. Their friendship sells all the humor. They’re also so sex positive it’s a healthy message for young girls in 2018. Writer/director Augustine Frizzell keeps the pace moving and the tone light. I definitely want to see more from these three women, hopefully together again!
