Movie Review: TURTLES ALL THE WAY DOWN has emotional, impactful depiction of mental health, tries to have some levity
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Written by Jesus Figueroa
@ThisFunktional
Mental health issues drive the story of TURTLES ALL THE WAY DOWN, streaming now on MAX, while including social aspects and how mental health issues impact friends and family.
When a 16-year-old struggling with obsessive–compulsive disorder reconnects with her childhood crush, she confronts the possibility of finding love and happiness in the face of mental illness.
Some of the aspects of the plot of TURTLES ALL THE WAY DOWN come across clearly while others may be better understood by those who live with mental illness or are part of a support group for those with mental illness.
Director Hannah Marks had a difficult task of taking on a story which dealt with the serious issue of obsessive compulsive disorder, better known as OCD, but not being overwhelming or seeming preachy.
There are many things that this movie was spot on with, like the feeling of not being in control with one’s own thoughts and the contrasting feelings, facts, or ideas.
While for some the parallel romantic elements and social aspects may seem to interject in the story, the honesty of this movie helps to give audiences a sense of how social interactions may feel chaotic.
Isabela Merced, who plays Aza, wonderfully played the an anxious character. The manner in which Merced played this character felt genuine, caring, and honest. This portrayal was both beautiful and heartbreaking.
Aza, being the character that is suffering from OCD, can feel too much at points and daunting, but may have felt familiar for those who are familiar with mental health issues.
Cree Cicchino, who plays Daisy, had quite the task playing a character who is best friends with Aza and experiences mental health second hand. With Merced having done such a wonderful job as Aza, Cicchino did well playing someone who wants to be supportive while dealing with uncertain emotions of her own.
There is no guide as to how to support a person with mental illness and what works once may not work a second time.
Daisy is a character who is stuck between dealing with her own issues while also wanting to be sympathetic to the issues of her best friend who is going through something unpredictable.
Judy Reyes, who plays Aza’s mom Gina, plays a strong and tender character who feels uncertain and yet flexible. This character can be tough to play because there is so many things that can go wrong. Playing this character over the top can make it feel too forced, while playing it too serious can make it feel too cold or uncaring. Reyes has moments in her portrayal that can leave the audience in tears.
While the story doesn’t necessarily wrap up in a neat little package, not having it have a final solution is exactly what this story needed. There is no one solution to mental health issues. There is no one path. These actors did a great job of creating a fantastic emotional story.
Director Marks brought out a tender performance from Merced and Cicchino. Screenplay writers Elizabeth Berger and Isaac Aptaker adapted author John Greens novel well. The story described some very tough feelings which some people may identify with.
TURTLES ALL THE WAY DOWN is worth the watch.
ThisFunktional score: 9/10 stars
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