Turtles All The Way Down on (HBO) Max may have, for some, a rough, borderline cringe feel to its comedy and I get it. The flick sometimes does feel a bit much… plus it has a weird Nancy Drew subplot that wanders in and out of frame. But, to me, all that is forgivable since I was so moved by Isabelle Merced’s stellar performance. My apologies.
Based on a perfectly good John Green novel, this stellar adaptation is about a high school girl with severe anxiety issues. She has to deal with recurring, unstoppable thoughts and a severe existential crisis. She has a friend who is a lot, a mom who worries too much, and a cute boy she fears trading saliva with.
The flick has a weird meet cute scenario where the boy in question’s father has gone missing and the two best friends think they can play Nancy Drew and find him. It’s a premise that’s odd and out of place with the rest of the film but that’s kind of ok since it’s not really what the movie’s about anyway.
It’s about a complicated and flawed young lady who is trying to make it through life. It’s about her best friend who appears supportive and is kind of a lot but also adorable. It’s about her wanting to go to college and her mom’s clinging worries. It’s about young love but also emotional self-harm. It’s all of these things and its also a little overly kooky and corny at times too.
But Isabella Merced delivers such a powerful performance and there are such great moments, speeches, and unbalanced, heart-breaking anxieties on display. Yes, she’s working with a great script but she delivers a powerful, emotionally raw performance. I was moved to tears on multiple occasions over what she delivers and experiences. And its never easy, never a straight-line that’s resolved in a simple speech.
I doubt everyone else will agree. I think the tone of the film may turn some people off early and they’ll never re-engage. Or maybe my take on her emotional mindscape is built on ignorance and maybe this isn’t how it feels to feel out of control. I don’t know… I may have other issues, but not these ones but I still felt for her on an empathetic level. This is a terrific film and I hope I’m not out here on my own.
Score: 92