Saturday, December 29, 2018

Delayed Reaction: Never Goin' Back


The Pitch: So, imagine if Spring Breakers wasn't written like it was dreamed up by a teenage boy on hallucinogens.

Two teenage screw-ups try to keep it together long enough to go on a trip to Galveston.

So, this is what I mean when I describe something as an A24 Sundance movie. It's bawdy. It's messy. It's a coming of age story. The pace is relaxed. Nothing really happens. And I had a great time watching it.

Most of it has to do with the two leads (Maia Mitchell and Camila Morrone). They are amazing together. Their chemistry is natural and infectious. They are nothing but flawed throughout the movie. It's actually impressive how many different ways they manage to screw up. But I'd still like to hang out with them. They are so much fun to be around. Every day is an adventure with them. A lot of the credit also has to go to writer/director Augustine Frizzell who gets this world and knows how to to present it in a way that isn't judgmental or complimentary.

The best description I've come up with for the movie is "imagine catching up with Moonie from The Florida Project in about 12 years". It's the same feel as that movie. It isn't quite as gorgeously shot as The Florida Project and it's much more focused on laughs, but the movies are very much kindred spirits.

The climactic scene is gloriously disgusting and overly-convenient. I laughed hard, even though I saw the joke coming a mile away and my One Big Leap senses were tingling. I just plain enjoyed this movie about awful, likable people.

Verdict (?): Strongly Recommend

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