If you are looking for a good young adult/coming of age movie to watch and you have HBO Max the recently released Turtles All the Way Down is definitely a good one to put on your list. It was released on May 2.
Originally based on a novel by John Green the movie tells the story of 16 year old Aza Holmes who struggles with OCD and anxiety. The movie follows her journey with figuring out how to live with her mental illnesses and how to navigate the relationships in her life, all while also trying to find a missing fugitive billionaire who happens to be the father of her old friend Davis.
The movie does an excellent job of portraying the ups and downs of life, and the topic of mental health is handled incredibly well and with a lot of respect. It is able to showcase the struggles of OCD and anxiety while also showing that it is possible to overcome them and still live your life to the fullest.
An interesting thing in the movie is that while its main focus is Aza’s struggles, it also shows how her issues affect the people around her. As a very difficult topic to discuss and that isn’t talked about often but it is a very important thing to acknowledge, they did an incredible job at showcasing it.
The lead in the movie, Isabela Merced, was absolutely phenomenal in this role. She does an amazing job at portraying the thought spirals that her character goes through and really takes you along with her on them. You find yourself understanding why Aza is acting the way she is, even though her logic doesn’t make sense. The subtlety in Merced’s performance made Aza feel real, she perfectly depicts the highs and lows of living with a mental illness.
The rest of the cast, while small, also does an incredible job at making the audience see their thoughts and feelings and justifying their actions. Cree, who plays Daisy Ramirez, the main character’s best friend, especially does a wonderful job showing that while Daisy loves her best friend, it is hard to actually BE her friend sometimes.
The movie keeps you interested the whole time and while it deals with a lot of heavy topics and issues, it also has its lighter moments. It has a lot of funnier moments and it has a lot of romantic moments. It is just a very well rounded movie that is one I believe people should watch.
I will admit that I have not read the book, I am planning to read it though. So while I can not speak as someone well versed in the source material, I truly believe that it is an incredibly well done movie that deserves some attention.
