Talia Ryder Is The Next 17 Year Old Who Is Going To Educate This World

If Greta Thunberg represented a category of people, Talia Ryder would fit right into it: a sophisticated voice on social issues spanning bullying to reproductive rights all packed into a petite 17-year-old. Oh, she’s also the lead in one of the year’s most powerful movies about the realities of modern adolescent life. Keng Yang Shuen discovers the charm of the next teenager who’s going to captivate – and educate – the world.

- Keng Yang Shuen

Talia Ryder is 17 and she’s just made her big-screen debut as one of two leads in the empathetic drama Never Rarely Sometimes Always. You might not have heard of her – interviews with her are scant and at press time, she had what some might call a meagre 34.6K Instagram followers. Ditto the film, the story of a small-town high schooler (Sidney Flanigan) forced to travel to the big city to get an abortion; her plucky cousin (Ryder) her only source of company and support throughout the ordeal. Written and directed by the indie-adored Eliza Hittman, it hit cinemas Stateside last month, but as of press time had yet to receive a Singapore release date.