To the Bone (2017)

Genre: Drama

Directed by: Marti Noxon

Cast: Lily Collins, Keanu Reeves, Carrie Preston

Running time: 107 minutes

Ellen is a 20 year old artistic young woman dealing with a severe case of anorexia. She is a walking skeleton as she returns to the home of her ever-absent father, after another failed attempt at getting better. At the behest of her stepmother and her younger sister, Ellen reluctantly accepts to take part in an inpatient program supervised by Dr. William Beckham. So, she moves into a house, with six other patients suffering with the same issues.

This film, which was just released internationally on Netflix, beams with raw honesty and sincerity. Mental illness, be it anorexia or any other, is a difficult topic, but it is important to talk about it in the most honest fashion. To The Bone does that: It goes straight to the core.

Lily Collins offers a solid performance in the lead role. She looks the part and she really makes that character believable. Even Keanu Reeves, in whom I have never had much confidence as an actor, is good here.

Overall, this is a movie well worth seeing. It is sometimes difficult to take in, due to the subject matter, but it is nonetheless important to talk about these issues.

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