Movie Review: ‘Never Goin’ Back’

Review by Lauryn Angel

Augustine Frizell’s directorial debut, Never Goin’ Back, is a raunchy, hilarious romp. Best friends Jessie (Camila Morrone) and Angela (Maia Mitchell) are 17-year-old high school dropouts who just want to have a good time. In particular, Angela wants to give Jessie a memorable birthday present: a weekend on the beach at Galveston. The problem is that Angela spent their rent money on the trip, and rent is due next week. No problem; they’ll just work double shifts at the diner all week – problem solved!

Of course, as anyone who has seen this kind of movie knows, things don’t go as planned – hilariously so. Jessie and Angela can’t win, and even when they’re on their best behavior, events seem to conspire against them. Even though the audience can see some of the trouble brewing long before it happens, Jessie and Angela are fun to watch, and I couldn’t help sympathizing with them, even at their worst behavior. Frizell never passes judgement on her characters, and, thus, neither do we as viewers. We’re along for the ride, having a good time.