What Really Matters

Talia Ryder (left) and Sidney Flanigan in Never Rarely Sometimes Always Never Rarely Sometimes Always is a story about Autumn and Skylar's journey from their hometown in rural Pennsylvania to New York, a city where abortion is safe and legal in the US, and the obstacles they face on the way. From being called a 'slut' by her ex-boyfriend, who got her pregnant, to being forcibly kissed by her store manager, to being flashed at in a subway train in New York, Autumn goes through all these ordeals before undergoing the procedure. Eliza Hittman, the director, leaves no stone unturned in showing the trauma that teenage girls have to endure on a daily basis in America. While Autumn and Skylar do not speak much, the telepathic understanding between the two is almost magical. The little gestures and the shared glances do much of the job.  After the 17-year-old Autumn learns about her pregnancy, she decided to get the procedure done in New York. It was a conscious decision as Autumn