Picks of the Week offers Women and Hollywood’s top recommendations — women-driven and women-made movies, series, VOD releases, and more — and tells you why they are worth your time and money.
Never Rarely Sometimes Always – Written and Directed by Eliza Hittman
“This is the most magical sound you will ever hear,” 17-year-old Autumn (Sidney Flanigan) is told in “Never Rarely Sometimes Always.” Autumn is having a sonogram, and hearing the sound of the fetus’ heartbeat within her is anything but magic. By her own admission, she’s “just not ready to be a mom,” and what’s growing inside her feels more akin to a curse. In one of the film’s most powerful moments, Autumn turns her head away from the sound of the heartbeat.
Eliza Hittman’s latest depicts Autumn’s attempts to deal with her unwanted pregnancy. Along with her cousin Skylar (Talia Ryder), she travels from rural Pennsylvania to New York City in the hopes of accessing an abortion. Besides being emotionally fraught, their journey is made more complicated by a cash shortage, having nowhere to sleep, and crossing paths with predatory men.
The drama, which already took home the Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize at the Berlinale and a U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award for Neorealism at Sundance, is also a terrifying look into what goes on in crisis pregnancy centers. It’s there that Autumn is forced to listen to what’s decidedly not the most magical sound she’ll ever hear. In addition to putting immense pressure on the teen to keep her pregnancy, the fake clinic’s staff also gives her false, misleading information about how far along she is in an effort to thwart her from terminating.
“Never Rarely Sometimes Always” isn’t just an important — and unfortunately, timely — exploration of the barriers facing women who want to exercise control over their reproductive health, it’s also a moving portrait of Autumn and Skylar’s relationship, and the former’s efforts to reclaim ownership of her body. (Laura Berger)
Watch Women and Hollywood’s exclusive “Never Rarely Sometimes Always” clip.
“Never Rarely Sometimes Always” opens in select theaters March 13.
The Roads Not Taken – Written and Directed by Sally Potter
“The Roads Not Taken”
Sally Potter is one of the world’s most interesting filmmakers. She’s made films with shoestring budgets, and some bigger movies as well. Some are great, some not so much — but they are always intriguing.
“The Roads Not Taken” is a movie about memory. Leo (Javier Bardem) is suffering from some undefined dementia. He’s become incapable of taking care of himself. His daughter, Molly (Elle Fanning), comes to take him to two different doctors appointments. No longer living in the present, Leo keeps revisiting his past and the decisions he’s made. The pic, which recently premiered at the Berlinale, is an exploration of love, loss, and how we come to terms with our choices. (Melissa Silverstein)
Watch Women and Hollywood’s exclusive “Roads Not Taken” clip.
“The Roads Not Taken” opens in select theaters March 13.
Lost Girls – Directed by Liz Garbus
“Lost Girls”: Sundance Institute
Is there such a thing as the “right” kind of victim? What about the “right” kind of hero or leader? Or criminal? When it comes to our justice system, the answer is unequivocally yes to all those questions. Rape survivors are constantly scrutinized for their wardrobe, lifestyle, previous relationships, you name it. Consistently, black and brown communities are disproportionately charged and incarcerated, as compared to their white counterparts. White, rich perpetrators are let off the hook again and again, even when they brag about their misdeeds.
Does this piss you off? How could it not?
Liz Garbus’ narrative debut, “Lost Girls,” is fueled by this rage — rage over a broken, unjust system. Based on Robert Kolker’s non-fiction book, the film sees a mother searching for her missing daughter and unearthing a series of related murders. When Mari (Amy Ryan) can’t get in touch with her eldest daughter, Shannan, she goes to the police and doesn’t find much help. She refuses to be ignored and the authorities finally — and begrudgingly — start looking for Shannan, even though she’s a sex worker and therefore not a priority. By pure accident, the police discover a body whose profile is similar to Shannan’s. Then they find others. Pretty soon, it’s clear a serial killer has been preying on sex workers for years. Because law enforcement couldn’t be bothered to find missing prostitutes, they enabled a murderer to work unencumbered for years.
The events of “Lost Girls” really did happen. The film, the 2020 Athena Film Fest’s Narrative Centerpiece, is described as an “American mystery,” but it’s actually a tragedy. Honestly, “miscarriage of justice” is probably the best term for it. That’s what Mari, her daughter, and the other lost girls suffered — on-screen and in real life. Let’s hope those who see this movie consider it a cautionary tale, and ensure history doesn’t repeat itself. (Rachel Montpelier)
Read Women and Hollywood’s interview with Liz Garbus.
“Lost Girls” hits select theaters and Netflix March 13.
Women of Troy (Documentary) – Directed by Alison Ellwood
“Women of Troy”
“Women of Troy” is a loving tribute to the groundbreaking USC women’s basketball team of the 1980s, who ushered in a new era for women in the sport, and helped pave the way for the WNBA. The one-hour doc focuses primarily on Cheryl Miller, widely considered the best woman’s basketball player in the world during her prime. Despite winning big with her USC teammates and being credited with changing the game for women’s basketball, Miller didn’t have a WNBA to move on to post-college — it didn’t exist. There simply wasn’t an option to go pro in the United States at the time. Her former teammates moved on to gigs with the Harlem Globetrotters and played in international leagues, and Miller was sidelined by a knee injury.
The doc sees Miller reflecting on what it was like to have her epic, trailblazing career cut short by both sexism and an ill-fated fall, and making a name for herself courtside as both a coach and a reporter.
It’s a joy to see footage of Miller and her USC teammates dominating on the court and innovating how the game was played. When hearing the alumnae talk about their time at USC, it’s clear they are grateful and proud to have played together — and to have been instrumental in enabling future generations of women basketball players to live out their dreams in the WNBA. (LB)
“Women of Troy” is available on HBO GO and HBO NOW.
New and Returning TV Shows On Our Radar
Flack (Pop TV, March 13)
Westworld – Created by Lisa Joy and Jonathan Nolan (HBO, March 15)
My Brilliant Friend – Written by Elena Ferrante, Laura Paolucci, Saverio Costanzo, and Francesco Piccolo (HBO, March 16)
Follow Women and Hollywood on Twitter @WomenaHollywood and Melissa Silverstein @melsil.
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