Always Shine

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Always Shine

2016

1h 27m

Mystery & Thriller

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

91%

Tomatometer

53 Reviews

51%

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.

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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.

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Alexandra Heller-Nicholas

Horror Nonna

Aug 25, 2018

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

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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.

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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.

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Dave Giannini

InSession Film

Feb 20, 2024

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

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Jason Adams

The Film Experience

Jul 2, 2021

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

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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.

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Alain E

@AlainE Jul 3, 2026

After nineteen minutes this completely failed to spark any interest. The scene at the car mechanic was a complete fail. Was this happening in real life or it was a recollection of a scene in a show? If it was supposed to be a real event only a psychopath would behave the way she did. And she could end up in real trouble if she was dealing with the wrong type of person.

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Diana S

@DianaWho Nov 21, 2024

My review contains spoilers!! Story is a bit convoluted, but the truth is, a movie about a young failing actress going to her rich family's fancy cabin in the woods to kill herself probably wouldn't hold the audience's attention, so the thriller elements falsely increase the stakes. Relevant thematically though and the actresses were both great.

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Julian S

@akajulianscott Aug 14, 2024

You might find the deliberately ambiguous ending disappointing at first, but this gripping slow burn will stay with you long after it ends.

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Melissa L

@Agent99 Feb 28, 2024

This was just sad. Not much of a horror move. I wouldn't recommend seeing it.

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Green C

@Green242 Feb 5, 2024

The tension was palpable. But I hate blurry endings.

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Wayne M

@RT94665746 May 24, 2023

Lots of captivating subtext builds the tension between the two leads and creates an entertaining ride.

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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

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