Always Shine is a 2016 American psychological thriller film written by Lawrence Michael Levine and directed by Sophia Takal.

The film stars Mackenzie Davis and Caitlin FitzGerald as two friends going for a weekend retreat to Big Sur.

She plans a weekend getaway to Big Sur with her best friend Anna (Mackenzie Davis), a struggling actress who works for free in student films.

They then go hiking in the woods, where they encounter Beth's director friend who has wanted to cast Anna in his upcoming short film.

As she returns to the house, Anna sees Beth's boyfriend with police officers wheeling away a body found in the woods.

Sophia Takal revealed in an interview that, from 2011 to 2014, she and Lawrence Michael Levine attempted to get financing, get recognizable actors, and not have herself act in the film.

The website's critical consensus states: "The tense and well-acted Always Shine tells an absorbing story while making a sharp, thought-provoking statement on women's roles in Hollywood.

[14] Scott Tobias of Variety gave the film a positive review, writing: "With her confident second feature, director Sophia Takal takes on Tinseltown misogyny and the toxic rivalry between friends, but that’s mere prelude to a gonzo meta-fiction that deconstructs itself nearly to death.