Matthew Briody gets on board in his review of Never Stop the Action.
A subway ride shared between two friends travels through time and space in Dublin filmmaker Paul Rowley’s queer microbudget experimental feature. Living up to its title, Never Stop the Action takes viewers from the mountains of Spain to AI-generated universes; all through the power of storytelling. Teshi (Ricki Lynée) and Casey (Stephen Quinn) are two friends who reunite after meeting at an all-night dance party. As they ride the 5am D train across New York City, Teshi and Casey meet a cast of colourful characters. They share words of wit and wisdom with their fellow travellers.
Rowley’s first short film, Suspension, which he directed with David Phillips, premiered at the San Francisco International Film Festival in 1999, where it won a Golden Gate Award. That film was an avant-garde Western dealing with abstract themes. Produced by Karla Healion for Still Films, Never Stop the Action is a natural evolution of Rowley’s work, turning a simple rail journey into a transcendental sojourn through vast realms.
The New Wave cinematic influence is palpable, and the bold visual language draws inspiration from the likes of Jean-Luc Godard and Alain Resnais. Delving into the same kind of psychological and philosophical questions, Rowley reflects on shared experiences of human consciousness. These two adventurers bring their unique culture and identity to the narrative. Teshi tells a story about Sean Bell – a young, unarmed Black man who was shot by the police 50 times on his wedding day when Teshi was eight years old. Casey tells the tale of Operation Flavius, where three IRA volunteers were killed by the British military in 1988. Supposedly planning a car bomb attack on British military personnel, all three were unarmed and no bomb was ever found.
With these retellings, our travelling duo explore how living as their true, authentic selves is in opposition to the oppressive colonial norms thrust upon them. Their existence is resistance. Via still images during a black-and-white faux interview, Rowley brings a sense of truth and urgency to these personal stories. Instead of showing the violence at the heart of them, Rowley focuses on the aftermath, which avoids making such trauma feel exploitative on screen.
While New York actor Ricki Lynée featured in short films and TV prior to Never Stop the Action, this is her feature film debut. In the role of Teshi, Lynée imbues her character with raw emotional intensity, in a performance underpinned with vulnerability, especially in one key scene. Her natural warmth plays well against Irish actor Stephen Quinn, who previously performed in experimental feature Shame // Less (2021). Quinn fits right into Rowley’s world – whether he’s spinning yarns or strutting along the subway car in his iconic red high heels, Quinn commands the screen with his infectious energy.
With a deceivingly straightforward premise, Never Stop the Action transforms a mundane mode of transport into an overnight odyssey. Get your ticket and enjoy the ride! This bold travelogue sees reality rewritten, and every turn of the track leads somewhere unexpected.
Never Stop the Action premiered at Dublin International Film Festival 2025.
