To the Bone Review

Based on the real-life experiences of writer/director Marti Noxon, To the Bone follows 20-year- old Ellen [Lily Collins] and her battle with anorexia. Ellen enters a group home run by an unconventional doctor [Keanu Reeves] where she and the other residents try to navigate through their addictions and find strength to live.

[Might contain Spoilers]

To the Bone is a hard movie to watch, not because is boring or a bad movie, but because anorexia is a topic difficult to talk honestly about it, while being respectful and not glorify it.

It's clear Marti Noxon had a personal connection with the topic, as Ellen is a well rounded character, who feels honest, and real even if you don't particularly agree with her in her views.

This is Lily Collins best work to date, and 2017 has been proven a great year for the actress as this is her second solid role in the last few weeks. Collins has been very open about her own struggle with this illness, and her performance is honest in every moment she is in screen. Ellen is not really a likable character, she's rude, she's somewhat selfish and she has a very dark sense of humor, but you root for her, as you want her to choose life instead of just cease to exist.

Dr. Beckham [Keanu Reeves] is not given much to do as his character fills the role of Ellen's dad. Ellen family is a complete mess. Her mom [Lili Taylor] is living out of state with her girlfriend [Brooke Smith] since they gave up on Ellen. Her dad is never present, and her stepmom [Carrie Preston] is a little overcompensating for this fact. Ellen's half-sister, Kelly [Liana Liberato] is the best relationship she has, and she's the one who convinces Ellen to actually try and get better as she embarks on this new treatment.

On the treatment house, Collins is joined by a great supporting cast including, Kathryn Prescott, Maya Eshet, Ciara Bravo, Alex Sharp and Retta, who even when they're not given much to do each had their own personality and demons.

Alex Sharp's Lucas was there just to be the love interest, as he tried to be more like a doctor, than Dr. Beckham himself. And I think here is where the movie fails, as it doesn't really know what it wants to be, as it get incredibly close to be a the fault in your stars like movie and it tries to tackle too many disorders and illnesses. But when is locked on the drama-like storyline of Ellen it's really good.

Noxon does a great job using humor once the scenes get to heavy, and there is a particular scene near the end of the film which is particularly uncomfortable, but somehow she transforms it into a tender mother-daughter moment.

To the bone was a perfect fit for netflix, as I don't see this movie doing particularly well if it was on theaters. It's a great movie to start a conversation about a difficult topic, an illness that affects a lot of teenagers and young adults. The shots are well thought and the color pallete depending on the type of scene is evident. Overall is a good movie to educate people about anorexia and others disorders like it.

Score: 3.6/5

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