24 Thoughts We Had While Watching ‘To The Bone’ (The Netflix Anorexia Movie That Everyone Hates)

Everyone on planet earth (or at least, Twitter) was excited for the Netflix anorexia movie to come out so they could shit on the Netlix anorexia movie because people think other people’s personal life stories need to be about them. I was excited to see it because I happen to like Lifetime type movies with better writing than Lifetime type movies and I think there’s way too few movies made about eating disorders. Last night I sat down URL to watch with one of my TC favs and fellow poet Ari Eastman, here are some thoughts we had.

1. “I did this diet and now I’m happy and everyone loves me” is an extremely astute observation about diet and wellness culture in America.

2. It seems weird if people in the writer’s treatment program were actually competitive and mean to each other. I’ve never met someone in a therapy/treatment type thing where people are anything but nice to each other. Or at least too sad and disassociated to care about putting someone else down.

3. The “calorie aspergers” scene is real but I feel like most women have that.

4. Also feel like the treatment program would give you better aftercare advice than “stand naked in front of your judging relative and let them weigh you.” Maybe I just have really good doctors.

5. I’ve already read so many people saying “another privileged white anorexia movie” and I can name a few others — but from like decades ago. Are there really so many? I feel like I never see movies about eating disorders.

6. “I don’t get it, why doesn’t she just eat.” Eli’s sisters comment just proved why this movie needed to be made, I think.

7. The trailer made it seem way more manic pixie dream girl than it is.

8. Is Lucas going to save her with his magical love and candy bar? Cause no.

9. Fuck off lucas

10. In this scene where Lucas can’t keep up while Eli is run walking to dinner I am Lucas whenever I am walking anywhere with someone else.

11. Seriously fuck off Lucas.

12. You aren’t going to cure someone by reminding them that food tastes good. Can you cure anxiety by reminding someone “damn it feels fuckin good to not freak out all the time about things that don’t matter” ???

13. Why are they toweling off after the rain room? Isn’t the whole point that you don’t get wet?

14. “Did someone touch you as a kid?” Do you need trauma in order to “deserve” being fucked up? What does that say about fucked up people without trauma?

15. “You need to be touched by someone who actually cares about you” — fuck off? Lucas is the worst.

16. Dear Lucas: if you love her you want her to focus on her recovery not you.

17. “You’re right, it’d be like slapping two bags of bones together.” Seriously fuck off Lucas.

18. Relate to being a tumblr celeb in this scene.

19. Fuck yeah Anne Sexton.

20. THE HEALING POWER OF POETRY.

21. “You’re my next thing” is the grossest line of all time.

22. I get like some kids, rich kids especially, don’t understand “you are responsible for your health” as a very basic idea, but beyond that, I don’t really believe in “bottoms”.

23. “My breakdowns were transformational” + “everyone should have more breakdowns” — this mom is literally me.

24. This writer/director is extremely talented because how many writers/directors could make a mom feeding her 20 year old daughter with a bottle sad instead of funny? I love this.