Josh BellIn an alternate (and, frankly, better) universe, Augustine Frizzell’s Never Goin’ Back would have been one of the biggest comedy hits of 2018, with star-making performances from Maia Mitchell and Camila Morrone. Instead, Frizzell’s hilarious, heartfelt, and often beautiful stoner comedy barely made it into theaters before being relegated to the furthest reaches of Amazon Prime. An exuberant celebration of female friendship that begins with one friend drawing a dick on the other friend’s face while she’s sleeping, Never Goin’ Back follows the misadventures of teenagers Angela (Mitchell) and Jessie (Morrone) in their repeatedly thwarted quest to spend a weekend at the beach. Like Harold and Kumar’s journey to White Castle or the dudes’ search for their car in Dude, Where’s My Car?, Angela and Jessie’s trip is a MacGuffin that provides a tour of their hardscrabble south Texas life, working at a rundown diner and living in semi-squalor with Jessie’s brother. Despite their numerous disadvantages and setbacks, Angela and Jessie are almost always upbeat and confident (and high). “Thank God we’re not sad on the inside,” Angela says, and watching this movie will give anyone that same internal glee. It’s a contact high.
Josh Bell Says Don’t Forget: Never Goin’ Back
