American Girl

The book was a million times more (not better; apples and oranges) than the movie. I don't think it's fair to expect 1.5 hours to do it justice. I can't give an unbiased review if the movie after reading the book so the movie was decent but the depth and development in the book deserves a mini series. Without the buildup, background, and character development some of the story seems incomplete and really paints a better picture of surviving/victimhood. I worry that it became more of a message than a quality story. That being said, the casting for Ani and Luke (especially) was great! I think it's a movie worth watching if you haven't read the book.

The luckiest girl alive, had to dig deep to survive, to establish a career, to crack down on all her fear, give the scars their time to heal, reconnect the nerves that feel, gain the courage to fight back, after multiple attacks.

Sadly, a not unfamiliar story of abuse against a young woman in a culture that even to this day wants to bury its head in the sand and pretend these far from isolated incidents don't take place (the world over unfortunately). Two spectacular performances from Chiara Aurelia and Mila Kunis, with brilliant dialogue (both spoken and narrated, especially the narrated), make this an excellent companion piece to Promising Young Woman.

Knoll should stick to writing books, not screenplays. In the convoluted, incohesive and dragged out 113 minute runtime, the story is all over the place, with poorly placed timeline tidbits, and ridiculous and mostly unnecessary scenes and dialogue.

The entire film felt one hour too long and failed to maintain any fluidity to the sensitive nature of its content. It lacked the consistency, depth and tone to be a suspenseful narrative, and instead, chose pretentious shock value trauma in a misguided self-serving fantasy theme.

And that's too bad, because the casting and performances were spot-on, especially Kunis who shined. Had any seasoned filmmaker made some much needed edits, they would've have gone a long way to make this a great watch, instead of getting impatient, frustrated and uninterested in what was going to happen next in the bender-mixed writing and directing. It's a generous 6/10 mainly for the performances.

Movies depicting the aftermath of a sexual assault are incredibly difficult to watch and often too triggering for many to sit through, but deliver some of the most profound and impactful filmmaking we have seen on screen of late, be it the Oscar-nominated "Promising Young Woman (2020)" or the moving Netflix series "Unbelievable (2019)". Although "Luckiest Girl Alive" doesn't rise to such astronomic levels in terms of pure craft, the Mila Kunis starrer is a chilling account of how society's first reaction to such assault is always victim-shaming and how toxic masculinity continues to be celebrated.

Based on a superhit 2015 novel of the same name written by Jessica Knoll, the movie traces the life and career of aspiring columnist "Ani Fanelli" (Mila Kunis) as she balances preparing for her upcoming wedding, a job that is at a crossroads while struggling with the PTSD of a grievous sexual assault from her past. As the mental anguish of all of it continues to take a call, the enterprising but vulnerable Ani is forced to face her demons and how she navigates the aftermath forms the rest of this disturbing but immersive mystery drama.

The performer in Mila Kunis has long been missing in action, with her last memorable outing being the fierce "Lily" in the Oscar-winning "Black Swan (2010)", with the actress seemingly having fallen into a rabbit hole of pointless romcoms. But the Golden Globe nominee sinks her teeth into this brilliantly written role and delivers a moving, dichotomous portrayal that balances ambition and industriousness with the emotional baggage and the scars of her scandalous past.

"Luckiest Girl Alive" is an excellent companion piece to other female-led literary works that translated into excellent mystery thrillers on screen, like "Gone Girl", "The Girl on the Train (2016)" as well as the "Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" series. Be forewarned of difficult-to-stomach scenes of sexual assault and violence but I promise you, the final act will leave you satisfied with the culmination of events. Recommended!

My advice is to go into this movie with no expectation... in other words, stop reading the reviews! Lol! I think the lack of expectations makes this movie the masterpiece that it is. -- Luckiest Girl Alive, what a great movie!!! The third person dialogue really nudges this movie beyond great in my opinion. Couldn't have chosen a better actress for this role. Mila is amazing as always! The mystery of "what happened" is executed so well. Revealing small pieces of the puzzle without revealing the full plot was executed wonderfully. I truly wasn't sure what direction the movie was going to go in. The direction it did end up going was unexpected and dark, and it was done so well. Sadly it's very relatable being a young woman. The trauma she lives with and the person she turns herself into is exactly what survivors go through every day. And the "villain" in this movie, is so typical... I highly recommend this movie, and if you're able to watch it with a boyfriend or a brother, even better!