Common Sense Media Review
By Jennifer Green
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Emotional YA adaptation has themes of mental health, grief.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
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Turtles All the Way Down
What's the Story?
Aza (Isabela Merced) is a teenager living with anxiety and obsessive-compulsive thoughts and behavior in TURTLES ALL THE WAY DOWN. Her problems were aggravated by the death of her beloved father (Jason Kientz) when she was little. Her mom (Judy Reyes) sent her to grief camp, where she met Davis (Felix Mallard). Now in high school, Aza and her mom have grown apart. When she's not falling into what she calls her "thought spirals" or meeting with her therapist (Poorna Jagannathan), Aza spends most of her time with best friend Daisy (Cree, who also goes by Cree Cicchino). When news breaks that Davis' father, a millionaire under investigation for his business dealings, has disappeared, Daisy talks Aza into going to investigate, leading Aza and Davis to rekindle their relationship.
Is It Any Good?
This drama based on popular author John Green's novel is an emotional rendering of mental illness, and its young leads offer a very sympathetic portrayal of teenagerhood. Co-star Cree is especially fun as the fast-talking Daisy in Turtles All the Way Down. She complements Merced's withdrawn, wide-eyed Aza. It's no easy task for a young actor to wordlessly emote as much as Merced is asked to here. Her spirals into panic are voiced over by internal monologue, and they're visualized as flashes of light and images of what she's worrying about (bacteria) combined with screeching noises. Whether the depiction rings true for you could depend on your own experience, but it's an effective way to convey the distress that the character repeatedly feels.
Though this is certainly the epicenter of the story, the film also weaves in romance, a mystery, and a lot of everyday teen experiences. The latter are the most fun, real parts of the film as viewers watch Merced and Cree rock out in the car, shoot the breeze over burgers at Applebee's (purchased with a coupon, always), or banter in the school cafeteria. Repeat viewings would help catch more of the witty asides, as when Aza googles "cute things to text a boy," or Daisy quips, "You don't have to wait for a boy to ask you out -- what are you, a handmaiden?" One quibble: A disproportionate number of teen movies seem to have millionaire characters who are able to whisk friends away on a private jet or host blow-out pool parties at their parents' mansions. It undermines the connection viewers might feel with these otherwise relatively realistic characters.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about movies based on books. If you've read the book upon which this is based, how did the film compare? Are movie adaptations ever as good or better than the book?
What is obsessive compulsive disorder? How does it manifest for Aza? Where could you go to learn more about the disorder?
What did you think of the way the film provides scenes of Aza's past and future in the opening and closing of the film? Did you want more (or less) information?
In a key scene, Daisy accuses Aza of being self-centered and also privileged. Did you think her criticisms were fair? Why or why not?
How would you describe the tone of the movie? Does it stay the same throughout? Is this realistic to life's ups and downs?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : May 2, 2024
- Cast : Isabela Merced , Cree Cicchino
- Director : Hannah Marks
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Director(s) , Female Movie Actor(s) , Latino Movie Actor(s) , Female Movie Writer(s)
- Studio : HBO Max
- Genre : Drama
- Topics : Book Characters , Friendship , School ( High School )
- Run time : 111 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : thematic material involving mental illness, some strong language and sexual references
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
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