Synopsis
Turtles All the Way Down is an American teen drama film that is set to release in 2024. It is directed by Hannah Marks, who adapts the film from the bestselling novel written by John Green. The movie marks a tender and moving exploration of mental health, friendship, and first love, as experienced by a 16-year-old girl with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
The plot centers around Aza Holmes played by Isabela Merced, a bright and thoughtful high school student dealing with the challenges of intrusive thoughts and compulsions. Her cognitive experiences are characterized by an obsession of hyper worrying over the world, especially concerning germs and infections, which dramatically limits her interactions with the world. Despite Aza trying to be the best friend, daughter, and student she can be, feeling like a prisoner in one’s own mind is tightly suffocating.
Daisy Ramirez (Cree Cicchino) is Aza’s best friend and probably the most energetic person you will ever come across, and fiercely loyal as well. Together, they take on the most peculiar of escapades: Russell Pickett, the billionaire CEO of a construction company, has gone missing, and there is a $100,000 reward for information on his whereabouts. Daisy, keen on claiming the reward pulls Aza along.
Aza’s prior relationship with Davis Pickett, who is also known as Russell’s teenage son, Davis Pickett, complicates matters further (Felix Mallard). Aza and Davis had an acquaintance as young children which later developed into a romance. Unfortunately, Aza’s mental health obstacles make closeness nearly impossible, so her bond with Davis is filled with the most profound connections and heartbreaking barriers.
Amidst Aza’s internal battles with OCD that becomes more intense as she struggles with achieving emotional intimacy, her rejuvenated feelings for Davis become one-sided and complicated, making her friendship with Daisy strained. Daisy’s frustration with Aza’s emotional withdrawal and Aza’s guilt over not being able to meet the expectations results in a painful fracture with little to no communication.
In contrast to the majority of mystery films, “Turtles All the Way Down”, focuses more on Aza’s self-identity rather than solving the suspense surrounding the disappearance of Russell Pickett. The missing billionaire provides a background to the storyline which centers around self-acceptance, mental health, and the ever-need of human interaction.
The film does not try to frame Aza’s OCD in a neatly solved package or offer a happy closure. Rather, its approach lies in stark reality and lies of enduring life with mental obstacles in an ongoing, yet through love, support, care, and brand of self-awareness strives to relay sufficient reminder of difficulty.
Cast & Crew
Isabela Merced as Aza Holmes
Merced provides an A-list performance as Aza capturing the character’s internal conflicts with as much authenticity and grace as one can achieve. Aza’s intelligence, quietness, vulnerability, and bravery are all facets that Merced portrays beautifully, making this one of her most matured performances.
Cree Cicchino as Daisy Ramirez
Cicchino goes far beyond painting Daisy’s character with the energy she’s known for; she performs heart, too. That balance between Aza’s contemplative nature and Daisy’s energetic character creates a spectrum of emotions indicative of a true layered performer. Daisy’s hyperbole, devotions, and short bursts of impatience bring complexity to the role.
Felix Mallard as Davis Pickett
Davis is a teenager who’s forced into pseudo adulthood way too soon because of his absent father and the overwhelming affluence, and Mallard plays him with nuance. He portrays tenderness to Aza and the relationship is at the forefront of the narrative.
Judy Reyes as Gina Holmes
Aza’s mother has a supporting role as a single parent that cares for her daughter, But, like all caring parents, is worried about the struggles Aza faces. Reyes accents tenderness within the maternal character while effortlessly helping the audience relate the character.
Director: Hannah Marks
Young filmmakers are rarely known for their unique touch, but Marks proves the exception. She directs “Turtles All The Way Down,” one of the upcoming features with character-based storytelling. Hannah directs with a reserved approach; she doesn’t oversensationalize Aza’s mental health and instead, tenderly illustrates a personal depiction.
Screenplay: Elizabeth Berger and Isaac Aptaker
Isaac Aptaker and Elizabeth Berger, the writers of Love, Simon, expertly adapt the book’s poignant self-reflection and emotion thoughtfully capturing the essence of John Green’s novel.
Music: Ian Hultquist
In Hultquist’s score, which tends to build around soft piano and delicate ambient textures, the music scores Aza’s A emotional journey, but does not overshadow the narrative.
Cinematography: Kristin Fieldhouse
Fieldhouse’s camera work captures the beauty and the anxiety that Aza experiences. Striking visual Aza’s mental state is often accompanied through close-ups utilizing shallow focus along with slow, swirling movements capturing her inner spirals.
IMDb Ratings
Critics and audiences have responded positively to the movie, as “Turtles All the Way Down” sits slightly over 7.0/10.
Their compassion towards the film furthers their praise, the critics acknowledging Isabela Merced’s performance, applauding the film’s sensitive portrayal of mental illness. Without veering into melodrama, the movie faced adversity portraying Aza’s struggles with OCD compassionately yet candidly enduring deeply challenging experiences.
The film’s emotional honesty and character-driven storytelling have similarly won it an audience. The friendship between Aza and Daisy has drawn attention in particular because of how realistic it is — messy, loving, and occasionally turbulent— unlike idealized versions of teenage friendships.
Although some audience members have admitted that the film’s slow pace will not appeal to all, particularly those looking for a more traditional mystery or teen romance, the majority praised the film’s reflective and character-driven nature as one of its strongest points.
Final Thoughts
“Turtles All the Way Down” is an unusual type of a teen movie — one that values emotional honesty over dramatic spectacles. Most films in this genre tend to exaggerate events and conveniently tie up loose ends, but this film captures a life filled with mental illness as inherently chaotic, complex, and one that provides no straightforward solutions.
Isabela Merced anchors the film with a performance that portrays OCD in heartbreakingly inspiring light. Aza is not a “perfect” protagonist; she struggles, she withdraws, she makes mistakes. But she is also thoughtful, compassionate, and remarkably brave. To witness her fight her internal turmoil while trying deal with her external relationships is equally painful and encouraging.
Hannah Marks’s direction brings John Green’s novel to life with both elegance and compassion. The decision to maintain the narrative focus exclusively on Aza’s internal world, as opposed to the external mystery of Russell Pickett’s disappearance, allows the film to maintain its emotional resonance.
The friendship snapshot in the film is an equally impressive element. Aza and Daisy’s dynamic captures the way mental health challenges impact even the most intimate relationships — while simultaneously demonstrating the ways those relationships can, with care, weather the storm.
With regards to the aforementioned elements, the film does not rely on sensationalistic devices, rather, it creatively employs cinematography and music to represent Aza’s worldview and experience. This approach offers gentle yet profound insight into her perspective, helping the audience understand what life with intrusive thoughts truly entails.
To summarize, “Turtles All the Way Down” is an intricately crafted film that sensitively depicts an individual’s mental illness through the lens of exceptional acting and compassionate writing. While the movie may not be the most thrilling experience, if viewers choose to engage with the film on a deeper level, they are bound to come away with a sense of fulfillment. It is evident that the film bears great consideration for the emotions and intellect of the audience, and as a result, the representation of young adulthood in the film is remarkably authentic.
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