What goes around comes around in Never Have I Ever‘s tale of domestic drama and drinking games.
Sam (Andrew Lee Potts), is a struggling screen writer with a drinking habit who misses his deadlines and is low on cash. His reputation around town precedes him, and his struggles to get the local pub owner to shout him a beer leads to meeting mysterious good Samaritan Mara (Beatrice Fletcher), who’s keen to know more about Sam’s background. As his life appears to be spiralling out of his control, is Mara connected to Sam’s confusion and if so, why is she so keen to play a game of the titular “Never Have I Ever”? Old wounds reopen and revelations are uncovered as the game leads them both down a dark path that will change their lives forever.
Director Damon Rickard’s full length debut is a solid film, but given his background and experience it’s possible that Never Have I Ever would have been better as a short than a feature length project. The premise isn’t strong enough to warrant a long runtime and ends up heavy with dialogue-filled scenes to the detriment of any scares. The horror is found in words as the two leads play a game of verbal tennis, peeling back layers of story and leading to an inevitable confession that can be seen coming a mile off. It starts with a promising concept (showing the same day twice from two different perspectives), but once we reach the second act it’s all on the actors. They do a mediocre job of ramping up the tension, but the denouement is lacking in shock value and the events preceding it feel rushed. Flashbacks are also employed to further the story and character motivations – particularly our flawed leading man Sam. While some were ok, others were unnecessary and added to the lengthy feeling, sucking out the tension that the two actors are working so hard to maintain.
The leads do their best with a very wordy script. Andrew Lee Potts looks a little bored at times and has a likeable face, so it’s a little hard to believe him as a gruff semi-alcoholic with a murky past. Beatrice Fletcher plays her role with a sufficient level of intensity, her character concealing her rage with flirty confidence, but her scheme to fool Sam is pretty basic and the ultimate reveal of her plan is disappointing. The other actors in smaller roles largely fade into the background, some providing story development, some providing misguided comic relief (an intense moment is totally ruined by someone playing a drunk quite unconvincingly), but they’re not worthy of note, and in fact this could have been a two hander with a few simple adjustments. Matt McClure plays Mara’s accomplice robotically, while Amber Doig-Thorne is very gentile in a role that needed her to be more vicious and passionate – especially as she’s fundamental to believing Sam’s hidden rage, which isn’t sufficiently conveyed by Andrew Lee Potts to warrant his ultimate fate.
While it won’t scare the pant’s off anyone, Never Have I Ever shows that director Rickard has the potential to manage a film of intensity, and that’s a good start. Modern horror pushes boundaries, and often has the tough job of marrying multiple concepts while tapping into basic fears or commenting on society. While this film does neither, I think the director is capable of both and look forward to his next outing.
Never Have I Ever had its World Premiere at Frightfest 2024
David’s Archive – Never Have I Ever
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