{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2026}} {{Infobox film | name = The Never List | image = Never_list.jpg | alt = | caption = | writer = Ariadne Shaffer | starring = {{plainlist| * Fivel Stewart * Keiko Agena * Andrew Kai * Anna Grace Barlow * Ryan Cargill * Brenna D'Amico * Jonathan Bennett }} | music = Jordan Coffing | cinematography = Janine Sides | editing = | studio = Never List Productions | director = Michelle Mower | producer = Anna Margarita Albelo | distributor = 1091 Pictures | released = {{Film date|2020|10|15|SOHO International Film Festival|2020|12|11|US|df=y}} | runtime = 102 minutes | country = United States | language = English | budget = | gross = }} '''''The Never List''''' is a 2020 American coming-of-age drama film directed by Michelle Mower, starring Fivel Stewart, Keiko Agena, Andrew Kai, Anna Grace Barlow, Ryan Cargill, Brenna D'Amico and Jonathan Bennett.
==Cast== * Fivel Stewart as Eva Jeffries * Keiko Agena as Jennifer Jeffries * Andrew Kai as Joey * Anna Grace Barlow as Taylor * Ryan Cargill as Ben Hallster * Brenna D'Amico as Liz * Jonathan Bennett as Mr. Snyder * Matt Corboy as Paul Jeffries * Tori Keeth as Izzi * Susan Ziegler as Mrs. Carlton * Kevin Menkhorst as Chuck * Drew Droege as Principal Greer * Sam M. Hall as Dev * Kimberly Stanphill as Carol Mears * Booboo Stewart as Lead Singer * Rob Nagle as Liz's Dad * Gloria Bigelow as Olivia * MariNaomi as themselves
==Release== The film was released in select theatres on 11 December 2020.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.theadvertiser.com/story/news/2020/12/12/lafayette-band-lvvrs-featured-independent-rom-the-never-list/3894710001/|title= Lafayette band LVVRS featured in independent rom-com 'The Never List' |last= Dodge|first= Victoria|date= 11 December 2020|website= The Daily Advertiser|publisher= |access-date= 25 November 2022|quote=}}</ref>
==Plot== 16-year old Eva (Fivel Stewart), a young overachiever running for student class president, planning a school dance, and dreaming of becoming a comic book artist and her best friend Liz (Brenna D'Amico) have cosplayed their alter egos "Vicky" and "Veronica" since elementary school as a way to release the pressure. Performing highly questionable acts that the real Eva and Liz would never do, documented in their "''The Never List''". After the sudden death of Liz, Eva decides to honor heir friends memories by completing their secret list of acts they said they would never do. Initially this leads Eva down a road of romance, but at she progresses, her actions begin to threaten her carefully planned life and future.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_never_list|title=The Never List|website=rottentomatoes.com|access-date=17 April 2023}}</ref>
==Reception== Dan Lybarger of the ''Arkansas Democrat-Gazette'' wrote that the film's acknowledgement that the "chemical recreation" the characters engage in "sometimes has catastrophic consequences in the real world" keeps the film from becoming a "shallow diversion".<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2020/dec/11/the-never-list/|title= 'The Never List'|last= Lybarger|first= Dan|date= 11 December 2020|website= Arkansas Democrat-Gazette|publisher= |access-date= 25 November 2022|quote=}}</ref>
Cary Darling of the ''Houston Chronicle'' rated the film 3 stars out of 5 and wrote that "where the film ultimately goes may not be totally unexpected but getting there is an engaging trip."<ref>{{cite web |url= https://preview.houstonchronicle.com/movies-tv/houston-filmmaker-s-engaging-never-list-15785476|title= Houston filmmaker's engaging 'Never List' is sweetly serious|last= Darling|first= Cary|date= 9 December 2020|website= Houston Chronicle|publisher= |access-date= 25 November 2022|quote=}}</ref>
Barbara Shulgasser-Parker of ''Common Sense Media'' rated the film 2 stars out of 5 and wrote that while Stewart is "compelling", she "cannot inject sense into the insensible."<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/the-never-list|title= The Never List|last= Shulgasser-Parker|first= Barbara|date= |website= Common Sense Media|publisher= |access-date= 25 November 2022|quote=}}</ref>
Liam Trump of ''Film Threat'' gave the film a score of 2/10 and wrote that the film suffers from a "poor" screenplay and "tepid" direction, and that "any of the potential drawn up by the premise is drowned out by how weak the execution winds up being."<ref>{{cite web |url= https://filmthreat.com/reviews/the-never-list/|title= The Never List|last= Trump|first= Liam|date= 27 March 2021|website= Film Threat|publisher= |access-date= 25 November 2022|quote=}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * {{IMDb title|9169318|The Never List}} * {{rotten-tomatoes|the_never_list|The Never List}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Never List}} Category:American coming-of-age drama films Category:2020s coming-of-age drama films Category:2020 drama films Category:2020 American films Category:2020 English-language films
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