‘Turtles All the Way Down’
John Green is so back. Based on Green’s 2017 novel of the same name, Turtles All the Way Down is now streaming on Max, and it reminded me why I love Green’s storytelling so much. A mentally-ill protagonist paired with a Hardy Boys plot—what’s not to love? Isabela Merced as a 16-year-old named Aza, who struggles with obsessive-compulsive disorder. Despite encouragement from her best friend Daisy (the scene-stealing Cree), Aza thinks she’ll never be fit for a normal romantic relationship. But then an old (and hot) childhood friend, Davis (Felix Mallard), comes back into her life, and the sparks begin to fly. And yes, you will definitely cry. Do make sure you’re in a stable headspace before you hit, play, though. I found the depictions of Aza’s thought spirals intensely uncomfortable, and at times, triggering. I don’t even have OCD!