X
  • 2016
  • Unrated
  • Oscilloscope
  • 1 h 25 m
  • 2016
  • Unrated
  • Oscilloscope
  • 1 h 25 m

Summary Two friends, both actresses (Mackenzie Davis & Caitlin FitzGerald), leave Los Angeles for Big Sur embarking on a weekend getaway to reconnect. Once alone, however, the two women's suppressed jealousies and deep-seated resentments bubble to the surface, causing them to lose grasp not just of the true nature of their relationship, but also...

Directed By: Sophia Takal

Written By: Lawrence Michael Levine

  • 2016
  • Unrated
  • Oscilloscope
  • 1 h 25 m
  • 2016
  • Unrated
  • Oscilloscope
  • 1 h 25 m

Always Shine

Metascore Generally Favorable Based on 15 Critic Reviews
72
User Score Mixed or Average Based on 20 User Ratings
5.2
My Score
Hover and click to give a rating Saved

Where to Watch

Summary Two friends, both actresses (Mackenzie Davis & Caitlin FitzGerald), leave Los Angeles for Big Sur embarking on a weekend getaway to reconnect. Once alone, however, the two women's suppressed jealousies and deep-seated resentments bubble to the surface, causing them to lose grasp not just of the true nature of their relationship, but also...

Directed By: Sophia Takal

Written By: Lawrence Michael Levine

Where to Watch

Top Cast

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Critic Reviews

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Metascore
Generally Favorable Based on 15 Critic Reviews
72
87% Positive
13 Reviews
13% Mixed
2 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews

  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews

Critic Reviews

 View All
Metascore
Generally Favorable Based on 15 Critic Reviews
72
87% Positive
13 Reviews
13% Mixed
2 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews

  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews
91
Oct 21, 2016
It’s simultaneously incredibly pleasurable and quite disturbing, owing to its chilling elements and commentary on larger issues.
By Kimber Myers FULL REVIEW
90
Nov 22, 2016
Always Shine is a potent psychological thriller, all right. But it's also a powerful statement on the very industry that produced it.
By April Wolfe FULL REVIEW

User Reviews

 View All
User Score
Mixed or Average Based on 20 User Ratings
5.2
40% Positive
8 Ratings
35% Mixed
7 Ratings
25% Negative
5 Ratings

User Reviews

 View All
User Score
Mixed or Average Based on 20 User Ratings
5.2
40% Positive
8 Ratings
35% Mixed
7 Ratings
25% Negative
5 Ratings

There are no user reviews yet. Be the first to add a review.

80
Nov 23, 2016
What makes Always Shine transcend, though, is its long-telegraphed yet still unexplained switcheroo — not exactly new to fans of "Mulholland Drive" (or even "Freaky Friday") but near-experimental in its implications, given the context of two women struggling to make their professional marks.
By Joshua Rothkopf FULL REVIEW
75
Nov 25, 2016
Always Shine is an immersive nightmare of merging, over-identification, and projection. Its strangeness (and I yearned for more strangeness) is part of the fascination.
By Sheila O'Malley FULL REVIEW
70
Dec 1, 2016
While the foreshadowing proves more fascinating than the upshot, the two leads breathe jittery life into every sinister twist.
By Sheri Linden FULL REVIEW
67
Oct 21, 2016
In the end, even with its shaky introduction and unsatisfying climax, Always Shine effectively lingers with a pair of deeply committed performances and Takal’s layered dissection of the vulnerabilities inherent in the world of filmmaking.
By Jordan Raup FULL REVIEW
50
Oct 21, 2016
With her confident second feature, director Sophia Takal (“Green”) takes on Tinseltown misogyny and the toxic rivalry between friends, but that’s mere prelude to a gonzo meta-fiction that deconstructs itself nearly to death.
By Scott Tobias FULL REVIEW
See All 15 Critic Reviews

Details

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Production Company Little Teeth Pictures, Balaboosta Pictures, Nice Dissolve, Reality Pictures, Salem Street Entertainment, Visit Films
Release Date Nov 25, 2016
Duration 1 h 25 m
Rating Unrated
Genres
Website http://www.alwaysshinefilm.com/
View All Details

Awards

Montclair Film Festival (MFF)
• 1 Win & 2 Nominations
Tribeca Film Festival
• 1 Win & 2 Nominations
Independent Film Festival of Boston
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination

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