FrightFest 2024: ‘Never Have I Ever’ delivers twists, turns, and an explosive finale

Perception is everything. What you think you know and what is actually real are two very different things. Many filmmakers tinker with structure and character as a way to communicate, offering up an alternate way to consume their story. With his debut offering, writer/director Damon Rickard toys with these ideas and hooks the audience into his stalker thriller. Never Have I Ever keeps its cards close to the vest and unravels through chapters, allowing the audience to put the pieces together themselves.

The story is simple: Sam (Andrew Lee Potts) endures the worst day of his life. Nothing goes right. He loses his wallet and keys, stumbles into a woman on the street, and a former friend will have nothing to do with him. Everyone seems to hate him. He’s also delayed writing a new script draft so much that his friend Scott (Graham Skipper) reveals that their investors want his advance paid back or they’ll take him to court. Sam heads to a local pub to blow off steam and befriends a young woman named Mara (Beatrice Fletcher), who offers to pay for his drinks.

Their unlikely encounter leads to a night of long-buried secrets, regrets, and a well-deserved comeuppance. Sam is not a good guy. Throughout the film, the audience learns of his many past transgressions and what led him to become such a hot-headed alcoholic. His conversations with Mara are quite revealing and expose much darker things than meets the eye. But the viewer also begins to question Mara’s intentions and why she’s so determined to play the Never Have I Ever drinking game with a stranger.

Cinematographer Jack Ayers gives the film a clean feel, less moody than one might expect from a thriller. Much of the tension stems from Potts and Fletcher’s onscreen chemistry, each keeping the other on their toes. The music (courtesy of Mitch Bain) also forces the audience to walk on their tip-toes through a minefield of needles. Many musical cues, particularly the pulsating heartbeat during the film’s climax, boost the suspense and lock you into the story.

Rickard displays great instincts with his direction. He conceals the truth in the way he untangles the story, an invitation to go along for the joyride. Anticipation is key. What begins as one thing mutates into another entirely by the mid-way point. The director flips the tables – and makes you question who you should actually be empathetic toward. But that’s all part of the journey.

Never Have I Ever might not reinvent the wheel but it does demonstrate a creative team with undeniable potential. Damon Rickard irrefutably places himself into the One to Watch conversation. As he guides you through his intricate maze, you come to appreciate his style, tone, and storytelling sensibilities. There’s no questioning his talent; this is only the beginning of a promising career.

Never Have I Ever made its world premiere at this summer’s FrightFest.

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