Turtles All The Way Down is the sixth John Green novel to be adapted to the screen, and it strikes a chord directly in the middle of the two I’ve seen: The Fault in Our Stars and Paper Towns. Green caught lightning in a bottle with The Fault in Our Stars; a rare piece of cinematic magic that is going to be nearly impossible to recreate. The other, Paper Towns, is a feature for which I have a major soft spot. I had the chance to read the book prior to seeing the film, so it never seemed as forgettable to me as it did for others. However, I’m not immune to the fact it passes as a predictable road trip comedy. 

 

Like Paper Towns, Turtles All the Way Down has aspects of mystery. It also attempts to connect two romantic leads through a shared bond, similar to The Fault in Our Stars. That’s the struggle an author of Green’s caliber has to become accustomed to: having his latest creation be compared to his other adapted works. Turtles All the Way Down lands somewhere in the middle in terms of originality and memorability.

 

Unfortunately for us , the pivotal romance – alongside a possible toxic friendship and an extreme case of OCD  is void of any emotional connection. Aza (Isabella Merced, The Last of Us) and Davis (Felix Mallard, Ginny & Georgia) lack any substantial draw to one another. They work well together, but their romantic chemistry is flimsy at best. Now, just because the romance aspect of the film falls flat in comparison to others in the genre, doesn’t mean sitting through it is a mistake. In fact, when you take that element out of the film as a whole, the picture gets a little clearer. The romance muddies the water to our lead’s internal challenges. What should have been left as a flirtation is built to be “love” – a factor that is barely expressed beyond tear-filled eyes of longing. 

 

The friendship between Aza and Daisy (Cree, And Just Like That…) is, as briefly suggested, a toxic one.  As the truth comes out about their feelings toward each other, the two must come to terms with what makes their relationship work, and if it’s truly worth the pain. Aza and Daisy offer the most dynamic flow of emotions, with heart-heavy monologues and arguments that all come to a head. The dialogue is snappy and brutal when necessary; something that strikes an awkward nerve for those of us observing from the outside. 

 

The mother / daughter connection also has similar beats to Daisy and Aza, but with slightly less tension between the pair. Judy Reyes (Scrubs, Smile) is fantastic playing a mother who wants to be there for her daughter, but still gives her the necessary space. The common theme in their relationship is Aza’s future college and the impending fear of her moving away from home with her condition not being properly treated. This leads to some biting scenes between the duo.

 

The star of the show, however, is the internal battle Aza must endure as her psyche attacks itself – causing her to self-harm to feel cleansed. This internal narrator sheds some similarities to the screenwriting pair’s other adaptation, Love, Simon - in which Simon has a primary V.O. role in the form of his emails and texts. He practically adopts a second personality. If Elizabeth Berger and Isaac Aptaker have a confirmed beat, it’s knowing how to create wonderful character dynamics through conversations. In this extreme case, it’s Aza’s own fight with herself that causes the most conflicts with the important people in her life. 

 

Turtles All the Way Down can become tense, especially as Aza fights her inner demons, but it also knows when to let the emotions out. It showcases  the onslaught of love and desperation the people in her life have toward her. It’s a fascinating depiction of an untreated condition that has become more and more common today, and allows Aza to travel a dark path to ultimately find themselves. There are also some serious pacing issues, mainly in part to the attempt at a romance and a decision to connect a mystery to the soul of the story. 

Discard those aspects of the film, and Hannah Marks’ Turtles All the Way Down has a beating heart. It’s occasionally dark, occasionally light-hearted, and wants you to take an internal journey through hell and back to discover what makes our lead their best self. Similar to his other work, Green takes a darker path than most coming-of-age stories are willing to explore. But unlike the meaning behind the titular expression, it’s really not all that deep.