Teenage stoners and high school dropouts, Jessie and Angela, are best buddies who share absolutely everything. To celebrate Jessie 17^th birthday, Angela plans for them to spend a few days at the beach in Texas and escape from their usual asphyxiating environment. Since most of their salary from waitressing at the Buttermilk Cafe goes out to pay the rent, they decide to work extra hours to afford their dream trip. Unfortunately, because of Jessie’s brother failed drug sale, a couple of boys breaks into the house he shares with the two girls with the intention of setting things straight. It will be the first of a series of absurd setbacks as a result of Angela and Jessie’s bad luck, addictions and delirious plans to get out of the complicated situations they get themselves in. And that spiral of nonsense will only continue to further spin out of control.

Never Goin’ Back is the young, foul-mouthed,wild comedy of this edition of Americana. It is the debut feature of Augustine Frizzell, who also wrote the script which allows the two main protagonists to shine. Angela and Jessie are played by two young first-timers who are delightfully natural and self-confident. Although the tone of the film is quite cheeky, the filmmaker hints at the difficulties of younger generations to get ahead and find their place in life. The impersonal locations in Texas were the film was shot – fast food chains and common places – are also of special importance, becoming a sort of prison for young people condemned to live there. Never Goin’ Back has been nominated for the very indie John Cassavetes Award at this year’s edition of the Independent Spirit Awards.

2018: Independent Spirit Awards: Nominated for John Cassavetes Award