Quartile rating: 7.5/10 · 1 rating
A pair of teenage girls in rural Pennsylvania travel to New York City to seek out medical help after an unintended pregnancy.
Eliza Hittman's intimate drama is elevated by two remarkable naturalistic performances, especially Sidney Flanigan's wordless intensity, and by exquisite handheld cinematography that keeps the viewer uncomfortably close to the protagonist's experience. The titular scene—the extended interview with the clinic counselor—is genuinely devastating and earns its reputation. The plot is deliberately spare and episodic, which is a strength in terms of realism but limits dramatic architecture. The ending is quietly resonant but intentionally unresolved, which suits the film's ethos though it may frustrate some viewers. Novelty is solid but not exceptional; the road-trip-to-abortion-access premise has precedent, and while Hittman's execution is distinctive, the film works largely within established social-realist conventions rather than transcending them.