After opening in select theaters on March 13, writer-director Eliza Hittman’s acclaimed Focus Features drama Never Rarely Sometimes Always had been scheduled to go wide next Friday, April 3. Instead, as a result of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, NBCUniversal has announced that the film will be released on VOD on that date, where it will be available as a $19.99, 48-hour rental via participating on-demand platforms. It’s the second Focus title to go this route, following Autumn de Wilde’s Emma.
Never Rarely Sometimes Always, written and directed by Hittman, is described in its synopsis as “an intimate portrayal of two teenage girls in rural Pennsylvania. Faced with an unintended pregnancy and a lack of local support, Autumn (Sidney Flanigan) and her cousin Skylar (Talia Ryder) embark across state lines to New York City on a fraught journey of friendship, bravery and compassion.” The film premiered at Sundance, winning a Special Jury award, and went on to win the Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize at the Berlin International Film Festival.
Singer-songwriter Sharon Van Etten, who plays a key supporting role in Never Rarely Sometimes Always as Autumn’s mother, recently released a new song for the film’s soundtrack titled “Staring at a Mountain.”
Watch a trailer for the film below.