A24 does it again folks: another coming of age film with beautiful cinematography, relatable characters, and a lovely cast.
Never Goin’ Back is the wild summer film we’ve been waiting for. It’s about two teenagers named Angela (Maia Mitchell) and Jessie (Camila Morrone) trying to make money as waitresses after spending their rent on a vacation to the beach, and of course, this is not easy for them as they encounter robberies, drug busts and disgusting bodily fluids. Their crazy adventure takes place in Texas, with very minimal adult supervision.
This movie is often compared to Spring Breakers, but I can tell you that it is much, much better. While the girls do some crazy things that stressed me out throughout the whole movie, none of their actions are extremely over the top and there is always something that keeps the movie realistic. The cinematography also gives an authentic feel to the film. Even though the setting is not particularly beautiful, it draws the audience in, enabling you to feel the small town summer the girls are experiencing.
Mitchell and Morrone give spectacular performances and have amazing chemistry playing best friends. After seeing Mitchell in Teen Beach Movie and The Fosters, this role shows her ability to play a more scandalous, wild character. I hope to see Morrone in more films in the future, because her performance was quite wonderful. While no one in the movie is truly a household name, I don’t doubt that they will be very soon, because they all bring something unique to the movie. The two friends don’t always do the smartest things and seem to be getting themselves into trouble, yet you can’t help but root for them, and the side characters add comedic relief from time to time as you can’t help but laugh at their ridiculousness.
One thing I will say is that nothing in this movie is particularly unique because everything in it has been done before, but I think this movie does it better. This movie comes off as a reflection of how hard it is to be an adult if you’re not quite ready yet, but other than that, it’s not particularly profound. Even so, it serves its purpose of providing entertainment for an hour and a half.
The soundtrack also deserves some recognition. It is full of upbeat instrumentals as well as catchy rap songs and hearing it in the movie, every song fits the scene perfectly. There are songs for dancing, for feeling tough, for driving with your friends, and it could be the soundtrack of your summer.
I highly recommend watching this film if you’re in the mood for something more lighthearted. It reminds me of all the great times I had this past summer, so I think it is the perfect way to end the season. Here’s the red band trailer so you can see the wonderful craziness yourself:
Photo via A24 Films
