If Amazon's original series Daisy Jones & The Six is your first introduction to actress and model Camila Morrone, her lead role in the A24 stoner comedy Never Goin' Back is proof that she was already on her way to success at the time of its release in 2018. Adapted from Taylor Jenkins Reid's 2019 novel of the same name, Daisy Jones & The Six follows the rise of a 1970s rock band, loosely based on Fleetwood Mac. Morrone's character is also named Camila, lead singer Billy's (Sam Claflin) caring, supportive wife (and mother of his child), who brings a calming presence to the otherwise chaotic The Six and helps keep them together on their way to global success. Never a member of the band herself, Camila's character is used to contrast that of the titular Daisy Jones (Riley Keough) and plays a mostly supporting role.
Prior to Daisy Jones & The Six, Morrone had only starred in a few films, with Never Goin' Back being her first lead role and so far, her only comedic one. She played quite a serious lead role in Mickey and the Bear the following year, and will soon star alongside Willem Dafoe and Patricia Arquette in the upcoming drama film Gonzo Girl. Her performance alongside Maia Mitchell in Never Goin' Back is a testament to Morrone's talent and proves why she's actor to watch in whichever genre she chooses.
What is 'Never Goin' Back' About?
Writer-director Augustine Frizzell made her directorial debut with Never Goin' Back starring Morrone and Mitchell as 16-year-old best friends and high school dropouts, Jessie (Morrone) and Angela (Mitchell), who are working dead-end waitressing jobs in southern Texas. Though the nature of their previous home lives is never fully disclosed, Jessie's familial dysfunction is briefly mentioned, and she now lives with her older brother and failed drug dealer Dustin (Joel Allen), and his friend Brandon (Kyle Mooney). Clearly not the healthiest environment for two underage girls to be cohabitating, the house is in a state of complete disarray, and their struggle to scrape together enough money to pay rent is the driving force of the film.
Jessie and Angela are only slightly less irresponsible than Dustin, and Angela uses their half of the rent money for a beach trip to Galveston for Jessie's 17th birthday. When Dustin's friend robs their house after a drug deal gone wrong, the police are called, and Jessie and Angela are the ones who wind up in jail after they search their room and find drug paraphernalia. Their three days in juvie not only cost them a good chunk of the money they would have earned working, but their jobs altogether when they show up to work very clearly high. They become more and more desperate for money, culminating in Jessie and Angela stealing hundreds of dollars from their local sandwich shop, more than enough money to pay their rent. Inspired to use the rest of the money to move to California, they fall asleep with plans to leave the next day, but it's ultimately left unclear whether they ever make it out of their small town at all, or if their dreams of escaping to the beach remain just dreams.
Never Goin' Back Is a Unique, Charming Female-Led Stoner Comedy
Never Goin' Back is a slice-of-life film that doubles as a female-led stoner comedy, which are still quite hard to come by today. It's a mostly light-hearted comedy of errors, but also shines a light on the struggles of two economically disadvantaged girls stuck in a small town who want more out of their lives. They deal with misogyny at every turn, from a guy at the laundromat who steals Jessie's underwear, the old man at the supermarket who berates and slutshames them, to their much older roommate Brandon who fetishizes Jessie and Angela's ambiguous relationship.
Jessie and Angela aren't the most responsible teenagers, but that's half of the fun. They love getting high —mostly on marijuana and cocaine — and don't take their waitressing jobs very seriously despite being on the verge of getting fired. Their boss encourages them to get their lives together and make something of themselves, but Jessie and Angela's dreams are simple - make enough money for the two of them to live together, maybe by the beach. As much as it's a fun, lighthearted comedy, it's also the story of two young women living in poverty doing whatever they can to get by while still trying to enjoy their youth.
Camila Morrone Should Do More Comedy
Despite some dramatic moments, Never Goin' Back never takes itself too seriously and allows plenty of room for Morrone and Mitchell to shine comedically. Morrone didn't have much prior acting experience and until then, Mitchell was known primarily for her role in the ABC Family/Freeform family drama The Fosters and Disney Channel's Teen Beach Movie (and its sequel), so this low budget raunchy comedy was new territory for the both of them. This makes their performances all the more impressive, and their natural chemistry carries the film. Morrone's role as the anxious, high-strung Jessie complements Mitchell's as the free-spirited Angela in such a way that makes their friendship feel totally genuine, and Jessie's interactions with her brother Dustin are particularly hilarious as well. Though she's stuck to dramatic roles since Never Goin' Back, hopefully, as Morrone gains notoriety from Daisy Jones & The Six and the upcoming Gonzo Girl, she will grace us with another comedic role in the near future.