Cast: Isabela Merced, Cree, Felix Mallard, Maliq Johnson, Poorna Jagannathan, Judy Reyes, J. Smith-Cameron
Director: Hannah Marks
“Turtles All the Way Down” is a movie based on the popular YA book from 2017 by John Green. It was directed by Hannah Marks, who is known for her work in both acting and filmmaking, having previously directed “Don’t Make Me Go” in 2022. John Green, the author, has seen several of his YA novels turned into successful movies and TV shows.
Some of the most notable film adaptations include “Looking for Alaska,” “Let It Snow,” “Paper Towns,” and the highly successful “The Fault in Our Stars.”
Seven years after “Turtles All the Way Down” was published in 2017, a movie version of the popular book hit streaming screens on Thursday, May 2, featuring Isabela Merced, Felix Mallard, and Cree.
The film stays true to the original tale, centering on Aza, a 16-year-old high schooler dealing with OCD and anxiety. As she rekindles her connection with Davis, her childhood crush, she confronts the possibility of love and happiness despite her mental struggles.
Balancing her emotional well-being while coping with the loss of her father and the frustration of being misunderstood by her caring but overprotective mother (portrayed by Judy Reyes), Aza frequently finds herself overwhelmed by her own emotions. Her closest companion, Daisy (played by Cree), is her complete opposite: sociable, clever, and seemingly unaffected by worries, sometimes even to the extent of being careless.
When a wealthy local flees to escape pending charges, Daisy persuades Aza to sneak onto his property to hunt for clues, aiming to claim a $100k reward for valuable information. Caught by security, Aza’s connection to the mogul’s son, Davis (played by Felix Mallard), saves them from involving the police, thanks to a shared experience at a grief camp during childhood.
Their reunion sparks a shift from a youthful infatuation to a potential romance. However, as Aza seeks intimacy, her anxiety intensifies due to the overwhelming impact of her OCD.
Her anxieties are hindering her capacity to form close connections with others. This becomes more pressing when Aza reunites with Davis (played by Felix Mallard), a childhood friend who wants to be more intimate with her. While she reciprocates his feelings, the idea of kissing him sends her into a panic; the mere thought of sharing bacteria through a simple kiss overwhelms her.
Aza grapples with this predicament during her therapy sessions with her therapist (Poorna Jagannathan) and during her casual gatherings with her lively best friend, Daisy (played by Cree, who captivates in every scene). However, beyond Aza’s daily battle with anxiety, which frequently compels her to prick at her finger until it bleeds, the movie lacks substantial conflict.
The movie tiptoes between being a typical teenage adventure and a profound exploration of mental health, a tricky balance that, while occasionally sparking interest, never quite finds its footing. However, “Turtles” compensates with rich detail, thanks to Mark’s vibrant and stylish direction.
Whenever Aza grapples with her obsessive thoughts about germs, Marks cleverly intertwines her frantic inner dialogue with visuals of brightly colored microbes wriggling in a petri dish.
These moments invade the senses, evoking discomfort and unease, painting a remarkably lifelike picture of OCD rarely seen on screen.