Turtles All the Way Down
2024movie
Her performance alone can absorb the film’s rougher edges, vaguer lines and dramatic whiffs, especially when assisted by a strikingly natural Cree. She capably handles the self-destructive impulses and terror of Aza’s unraveling mental health through a downturn that is difficult to watch, without tipping into histrionics. Turtles All the Way Down, like other Green books before it, struggles to find a balance between relatable teenage angst and heightened vessel for emotions that feel bigger than life.
It truly encapsulates the torturous nature of OCD. Turtles All the Way Down doesn’t shy away from the misery, pain, and impairment that are so often a result of OCD. Viewers see the major impact on Aza’s life, particularly in how it inhibits her ability to interact with people and how it deeply affects her social life and ability to do things. The emotional and visceral impact of this portrayal is stunning and sets it apart from the superficial representations in other media.
