Hannah Marks’s adaptation of John Green’s bestselling young-adult novel, “Turtles All the Way Down,” poignantly portrays a teenager grappling with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The film’s title, derived from an anecdote about an infinite stack of turtles, captures the paradoxical nature of Aza’s internal struggles.
A Character-Centric Narrative
Directed by Hannah Marks, the film follows Aza (Isabela Merced), a teenager whose OCD manifests as contamination anxieties that hinder her ability to connect with others, particularly her childhood friend Davis (Felix Mallard). Despite her feelings for Davis, Aza is consumed by fears of physical intimacy due to her anxieties about germs and bacteria.
The movie delves into Aza’s journey through therapy sessions with her counsellor (Poorna Jagannathan) and interactions with her lively best friend, Daisy (Cree Cicchino). However, the narrative lacks significant conflict beyond Aza’s internal struggles, and even the mysterious disappearance of Davis’s wealthy father fails to drive compelling plot development.
Character Depth and Conflict
While Aza is a fully realized character grappling with her condition, other characters like Davis and Daisy feel underdeveloped. Davis, in particular, comes across as more of a symbolic figure than a fleshed-out individual, while Daisy’s role seems confined to that of a supportive sidekick, lacking depth and complexity.
The film attempts to pivot towards a focus on friendship over romantic entanglements in its final act, but this shift feels rushed and insufficient to compensate for the lack of substantial conflict earlier in the narrative.
Visual Texture and Authenticity
One of the film’s strengths lies in its textured and visually dynamic direction by Hannah Marks. Moments depicting Aza’s OCD thought spirals are brought to life with striking visuals, using neon-coloured imagery of microbes to evoke the unsettling nature of her condition. This approach provides an authentically vivid portrayal of OCD seldom seen on screen.
