Always Shine

Play trailer

Always Shine

2016,

1h 27m,

Mystery & Thriller/

Drama

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

91%

53 Reviews

Tomatometer

52%

500+ Ratings

Popcornmeter

91%

Tomatometer

53 Reviews

52%

Popcornmeter

500+ Ratings

Two women, both actresses with differing degrees of success, travel north from Los Angeles to Big Sur for a weekend vacation. Both see the trip as an opportunity to reconnect after years of competition and jealousy have driven a wedge between them. Upon arrival at their isolated forest retreat, the pair discover that their once intimate friendship has deteriorated into forced conversations, betrayals, petty jealousies, and deep-seated resentment.

Critics Consensus

The tense and well-acted Always Shine tells an absorbing story while making a sharp, thought-provoking statement on women's roles in Hollywood.

Read Critics Reviews

Alexandra Heller-Nicholas

Horror Nonna

Aug 25, 2018

Always Shine is a remarkable film carried by a strong script and even stronger performances.

Go to Full Review

Sheri Linden

Los Angeles Times

Dec 1, 2016

As the fog closes in, so too does the foreboding, expertly tuned to fraught dissonance by director Sophia Takal, who blends art-house flourishes with such horror conventions as the spotty cellphone reception that signals trouble.

Go to Full Review

J. R. Jones

Chicago Reader

Dec 1, 2016

[Takal has] created two characters with distinctly different approaches to femininity, but these are hard to separate from the women's habitual self-regard.

Go to Full Review

Dave Giannini

InSession Film

Feb 20, 2024

In Always Shine, Sophia Takal solidified herself as a young director to watch

Go to Full Review

Jason Adams

The Film Experience

Jul 2, 2021

The performative commingling of these two still fresh talents is a blast

Go to Full Review

Andrew Benjamin

Battleship Pretension

Mar 16, 2021

The threats grow more intense, the "stakes" constantly raised, the jump scares and music blasts louder. It becomes a more "intellectual" version of the cheap horror work it decries. The threats remain superficial.

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

Hermione R

Dec 12, 2018

A good film that had so much potential to be an amazing psychological thriller. It took the plot a fair distance then stopped vs going further and having some twists. The acting is pretty good especially for an indie. The cinematography is gorgeous at Big Sur.

See more

George M

Oct 27, 2018

boring, dumb, and makes no sense.

Leia L

Jun 22, 2017

A little confusing but intense flick...

Finn S

May 31, 2017

Great acting. But the ending?

Albus G

Mar 19, 2017

A gripping film even though there isn't much to grab onto; probably made possible by the amazing acting talent from Mackensie Davis

See more

Kylo S

Mar 12, 2017

Great performances and an interesting central idea, but I found the ending underwhelming.

Read all reviews

Sophia Takal

Director

Mackenzie Davis

Anna

Caitlin FitzGerald

Beth

Lawrence Michael Levine

Jesse

Khan Baykal

Paul

Alexander Koch

Matt

Baby

75%

Baby

Watchlist

Lost Transmissions

52%

39%

Lost Transmissions

Watchlist

The Parts You Lose

65%

55%

The Parts You Lose

Watchlist

TRAILER

for The Parts You Lose

Yardie

53%

Yardie

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Yardie

Unstoppable

80%

76%

Unstoppable

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Unstoppable

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

The 21 Masters Of Horror Shaping the Genre Right Now

On DVD This Week: Jackie, Incarnate, and More

Moana is Certified Fresh

View more photos

Synopsis

Two women, both actresses with differing degrees of success, travel north from Los Angeles to Big Sur for a weekend vacation. Both see the trip as an opportunity to reconnect after years of competition and jealousy have driven a wedge between them. Upon arrival at their isolated forest retreat, the pair discover that their once intimate friendship has deteriorated into forced conversations, betrayals, petty jealousies, and deep-seated resentment.

Director: Sophia Takal
Producer: Sophia Takal, Lawrence Michael Levine, Pierce Varous
Screenwriter: Lawrence Michael Levine
Distributor: Oscilloscope Laboratories
Production Co: Salem Street Entertainment, Visit Films
Genre: Mystery & Thriller, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 25, 2016, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 7, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA): $4.2K
Runtime: 1h 27m

Join The Newsletter

Join The Newsletter

Cookie Settings