Always, Lola Movie Review (2022)
An indie drama about friends completing a scavenger hunt left for them before a young woman’s death, Always, Lola is a thoughtful and emotionally honest film, with a gradual emotional build and a compassionately stark approach to mental illness, drug addiction, and grief.
There are many great movies about mental illness, and most approach the subject in different ways. When you compare Girl Interrupted with A Beautiful Mind, Silver Linings Playbook, and Melancholia, they are all so unique from each other that the topic of mental health is really the only common thread. That is something that I love, because depression, bipolar, schizophrenia, and various other diagnoses present so differently in different people, it’s important to tell each story honestly and for that character.
Always, Lola is about a group of friends who get together every year to camp and celebrate Lola’s birthday. Every year for a few, Lola has set up a scavenger hunt in which each friend receives a box containing a personalized prize and a message from Lola. After Lola’s death, the friends and her twin sister meet up at the campsite to complete the hunt that Lola set up before she died.
This is a fairly bare bones indie drama that took me a minute to connect with. The tone and vibe of the movie are somewhat unique, and while I was present for what I was watching, my connection point came towards the middle of the movie. Everything I was unsure about got sloughed off, and I got it.
This is a small film with a big message, tackling depression, drug use, sexuality, and how the world treats you, among other things. Each character is very different from the others, and each has their own relationship with Lola. Because of that, they each carry their own baggage and complications in dealing with her death.
Lola herself has a lot of issues with rebellion. Her twin sister, Katherine, who doesn’t get along with Lola’s friends and is particularly buttoned-up among them, sees things from an entirely different, more burdened perspective. I found myself relating to each of them in various ways in my own life.
One of my favorite things about this film is that it touches heavily on the perfect moments captured on social media. People tend to forget that what they see on social media is either heavily produced or a specific moment in time. It is not real life. So, although people think they understand you and know who you are, they only see you from the outside. Is anyone seeing you from the inside?
Always, Lola is a film that starts broadly and funnels into focus towards the end. Some people will feel that it’s a little too “in your face,” but I think it works. Our job as loved ones is to keep memories alive by remembering people out loud and learning to forgive within boundaries. You’ve never seen a movie quite like this before, so give it a try. I really liked it.
Runtime: 87 minutes
Motion Picture Rating: Not Rated (I’d say around PG-13)
Languages Spoken In The Film: English
Should You Watch It? Yes
Did I Cry? Nope
My Rating: 4/5 Stars
Available: Free for Amazon Prime members and on Tubi, to rent on Prime Video or may be available for free on other streaming platforms
