The Grio: ‘Never Better’: A coming-of-age tale that recalls those early days when the pandemic ruled our lives

The national experience of COVID quarantine had such a massive impact on the American psyche that I’m sure we’ll be seeing art about it for years. Never Better is a new film that grapples with the fear and loneliness of the quarantine days through the eyes of Terese, a twentysomething with cystic fibrosis. She’s played by the young actress Sofia Bryant, who told me she leaned a lot on her own quarantine experience.

“​​I had to channel who I was during COVID,” she said. “I was literally at home, by myself, not seeing anybody and just being by myself with my inner thoughts so that’s really what it is. Just bringing myself to the character was the best thing” for the movie.