[Movie] Turtles All The Way Down

Watched on: 05/05/2024

Reviewed on: 05/05/2024

"Turtles All The Way Down," a poignant adaptation of John Green's novel of the same name, stars Isabela Merced in a captivating performance as Aza Holmes, a teenager grappling with the complexities of life, love, and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

The story revolves around Aza and her best friend Daisy as they attempt to solve the mystery of a missing billionaire. Along the way, Aza reconnects with the billionaire's son, Davis.

“We never really talked much or even looked at each other, but it didn't matter because we were looking at the same sky together, which is maybe even more intimate than eye contact anyway. I mean, anybody can look at you. It's quite rare to find someone who sees the same world you see.”

Isabela Merced shines as Aza, portraying her internal struggles with raw honesty and vulnerability. Her ability to encapsulate the essence of a teenager facing the challenges of OCD (e.g., intensive thoughts), while trying to hold onto friendships and navigate the uncertainty of life, is both captivating and heartbreaking. The supporting cast, featuring Malin Barr and Izaak Cainer as Daisy and Davis, delivers compelling performances that add depth to their characters and bring authenticity to their on-screen relationships.

“You're both the fire and the water that extinguishes it. You're the narrator, the protagonist, and the sidekick. You're the storyteller and the story told. You are somebody's something, but you are also your you.”

Perhaps many times our thinking is like a Russian matryoshka doll, which seems to be shrinking but keeps repeating itself in an endless cycle. Many times we try to struggle and overcome, but more often than not, it is an endless cycle. But try to get out of the cycle as much as possible, feel love, and love others. We often feel the world is out of control, but we often "be loved."

“Your now is not your forever.”