Turtles All the Way Down (2024) Review

In middle school, John Green novels were the quintessential YA diaries in which my friends and I indulged. We ferociously consumed his books, feeding our inflated sense of otherness through Margo Roth Spiegelman and Alaska Young, or pining for the love of Hazel and Augustus. When news of an adaptation dropped, we stampeded to theaters to see our literary parasocial relationships come to life on the big screen.

“Turtles All the Way Down” is the latest of John Green’s tales to make the leap from page to screen. Directed by Hannah Marks and penned by “Love, Simon” co-writers Elizabeth Berger and Isaac Aptaker, this adaptation had some big shoes to fill. Now in adulthood, I wondered if Green’s youthful narrative charm would still resonate. To my pleasant surprise, “Turtles All the Way Down” is anything but stale, destined to captivate its teen and tween audience while tugging at the heartstrings of those who might think they’re too old for it.

Meet Aza (Isabela Merced), a timid teen with OCD, who habitually spirals into intrusive thoughts about infections and the human microbiome. Picture an endless Russian doll of a person, unable to find herself in the layers. Juggling her mental health, the grief of losing her father, and the anger of feeling misunderstood by her well-meaning but hovering mother (Judy Reyes), Aza often feels drowned in her own humanity. Her best friend Daisy (Cree) is her polar opposite: outgoing, witty, and perpetually unbothered, often to the point of recklessness.

When a local billionaire goes on the run to dodge legal troubles, Daisy ropes Aza into a scheme to sneak into his estate in search of clues, hoping to snag the $100k reward for any pertinent information. Caught by security, their saving grace is Aza’s connection to the magnate’s son, Davis (Felix Mallard), from a childhood summer at grief camp. Their reunion sparks a transition from childhood crush to budding romance. But Aza’s desire for closeness is complicated by her OCD, which turns the butterflies of new love into a battalion of anxiety.

“Turtles All the Way Down” captures the pulse of today’s youth, marked by open discussions of mental health. Marks’ direction, combined with excellent sound design that sets Aza’s thought spirals to a soundtrack of pulsing static, immerses us in her internal world. Neither the film nor Merced’s heartfelt performance pity Aza in an othering way. Her inner dialogue, narrated by Merced, paired with her chemistry with Cree’s Daisy, roots Aza so empathetically that we can easily find our own anxieties mirrored in her shallow breaths. Yet, Aza’s OCD and intrusive thoughts don’t define her. The film’s tender humor and touching moments shine brightly outside of her mental struggles, making it incredibly relatable.

Aza and Daisy’s days are filled with sarcastic banter about their love lives, coupon-dining at Applebee’s, and joyfully rapping to "Ms. Jackson" by Outkast in Aza’s car, which has Stankonia stuck in the CD player (just one highlight in a vibrant soundtrack featuring LCD Soundsystem, Tame Impala, and Billie Eilish). The Davis-Aza romance brings a hefty dose of heartwarming sweetness, but Mallard’s performance sometimes struggles to match Merced’s authenticity. While their awkward text conversations and dreamy moments might recall your first big crush (unless, of course, your high school sweetheart whisked you away on a private jet to Chicago—in which case, congrats), nothing quite matches the dynamic between Aza and Daisy. Through all their ups and downs, their best-friendship shines brightest, persevering through love, lust, and bacteria.

Marks’ “Turtles All the Way Down” sparkles with John Green’s signature whimsy. It’s a charming, delightful YA romance that transcends its target market. “Turtles All the Way Down” will resonate with today’s youth and offer a nostalgic trip down memory lane for everyone else.