Girls behaving badly is nothing new in movies. But the reasons for the audacious attitude needs to be good, or at least funny. This is the challenge Never Goin’ Back consistently comes up against. First time director/writer Augustine Frizzell is content with showing a free-style female friendship that never pushes the boundaries of being rowdy, raunchy, and reckless.
Angela (Maia Mitchell) and Jessie (Camila Morrone) are two teenage besties wanting to escape their small town and just eat donuts on a beach. That’s not asking for much. Who can blame them after having to live with Jessie’s brain-dead brother Dustin (Joel Allen), a wannabe drug dealer who’s not cut out for that kind of business, and his dumbass friends? There’s also the creepy roommate Brandon (Kyle Mooney) who the girls have to watch out for. So a vacation for Jessie’s eighteenth birthday sounds pretty swell, but now there’s no money for rent. Time is ticking on saving their house and staying on schedule to celebrate on their own little piece of paradise.
Total mischief is what Never Goin’ Back wants to provide. Though, it’s stupidity that rubs off the most. Angela and Jessie appear to be the most responsible and that’s super sad because they fucking feed off of being immature and inappropriate. After all, they are kids wanting to get high and hoping to still show up on time for work to waitress. With each new venture, there’s almost a zero percent chance of them getting away clean-handed in their half-ass attempts to get some quick cash.
Never Goin’ Back lets its two fantastic female stars get down and dirty, throwing caution to the wind while giving it the finger. Mitchell and Morrone own this movie. Their crackling chemistry kicks their hijinks in to high gear. But as much as they are willing to dish out, it’s not enough to shock and awe. Never Goin’ Back can’t offend even if it wants to (which it really tries). Women can get wild and vulgar. We knew that already, and showing them puking and pooping isn’t going to change that. It’s all been done before, just with more heart behind it.
“Nature Boy” Brandon Vick is the resident film critic of the SoBros Network, and star of Brandon’s Box Office In Your Mouth. Follow him on Twitter@SirBrandonV and be sure to search #VicksFlicks for all of his latest movie reviews.
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