Never Have I Ever (2024) Review

Never Have I Ever (2024) Review

Struggling with a late screenplay delivery and the risk of losing his advance, Sam’s day goes from bad to worse with a lost wallet and unusual break-ins at his home. An unexpected meeting at a bar changes everything and throws him into a game of cat and mouse with a killer.

Written & directed by Damon Rickard NEVER HAVE I EVER screened at 2024’s FRIGHTFEST, but don’t let that fool you into thinking that this is a horror film, as it did me, this is a thriller and unfortunately it is a thriller that is very heavy on dialogue scenes and has little in the way of actual thrills.

Andrew Lee Potts, as screenwriter Sam, is the film’s strong card and the early scenes where his keys and wallet go missing along with his screenplay draft having been mysteriously deleted from his laptop make for a solid watch. Once the action moves away from Sam’s home and into a bar, where Sam bumps into and gets talking with Mara (Beatrice Fletcher), the film’s momentum comes to a grinding halt when it should pick up the pace and soar.

Refreshingly for a low-budget thriller the characterisation is spot on, but the film is let down by having the crucial bar scenes not work, instead they feel like they stretch out for an eternity. Perhaps flashbacks during the back-and-forth dialogue would have fleshed out and enhanced the dialogue as on their own the words feel lifeless and flat. There is a late twist that is almost a ‘blink and you’ll miss it moment’ that hits the spot but otherwise NEVER HAVE I EVER is a dialogue-heavy movie that screams out for better dialogue and to be more than a film that is essentially two people chatting back and forth.

NEVER HAVE I EVER is available to rent/ buy in the US on Amazon, Fandango at Home, AppleTV and free on Tubi. In the UK, it is on Amazon, AppleTV and Sky Store.