crazy about her movie review

Log in or sign up for Rotten Tomatoes

Trouble logging in?

By continuing, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes.

Email not verified

Let's keep in touch.

Sign up for the Rotten Tomatoes newsletter to get weekly updates on:

• Upcoming Movies and TV shows
• Rotten Tomatoes Podcast
• Media News + More

By clicking "Sign Me Up," you are agreeing to receive occasional emails and communications from Fandango Media (Fandango, Vudu, and Rotten Tomatoes) and consenting to Fandango's Privacy Policy and Terms and Policies . Please allow 10 business days for your account to reflect your preferences.

OK, got it!

• What's the Tomatometer®?
• Login/signup

Movies in theaters

• Opening this week
• Top box office
• Coming soon to theaters
• Certified fresh movies

Movies at home

• Fandango at Home
• Prime Video
• Most popular streaming movies
• What to Watch New

Certified fresh picks

• 82% Alien: Romulus Link to Alien: Romulus
• 78% Cuckoo Link to Cuckoo
• 97% Good One Link to Good One

New TV Tonight

• 96% Industry: Season 3
• 92% Bad Monkey: Season 1
• 100% Solar Opposites: Season 5
• 62% Emily in Paris: Season 4
• -- Bel-Air: Season 3
• -- Rick and Morty: The Anime: Season 1
• -- SEAL Team: Season 7
• -- RuPaul's Drag Race Global All Stars: Season 1
• -- Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures: Season 2
• -- Worst Ex Ever: Season 1

Most Popular TV on RT

• 54% The Umbrella Academy: Season 4
• 100% Women in Blue: Season 1
• 82% A Good Girl's Guide to Murder: Season 1
• 78% Star Wars: The Acolyte: Season 1
• 100% Supacell: Season 1
• 90% Sunny: Season 1
• 78% Presumed Innocent: Season 1
• Best TV Shows
• Most Popular TV
• TV & Streaming News

Certified fresh pick

• 92% Bad Monkey: Season 1 Link to Bad Monkey: Season 1
• All-Time Lists
• Binge Guide
• Comics on TV
• Five Favorite Films
• Video Interviews
• Weekend Box Office
• Weekly Ketchup
• What to Watch

37 Best Space Horror Movies, Ranked by Tomatometer

25 Best Jennifer Lawrence Movies Ranked

What to Watch: In Theaters and On Streaming

Awards Tour

Alien: Romulus First Reviews: The Best in the Franchise Since Aliens

Renewed and Cancelled TV Shows 2024

• Trending on RT
• Renewed and Cancelled TV
• Best Movies of 2024
• Popular TV Shows
• Re-Release Calendar

Crazy About Her Reviews

Crazy About Her treats all its characters with compassion and dignity, without ever being heavy-handed or overly sentimental.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Mar 8, 2021

Crazy About Her has date night energy with the juice of an ensemble dramedy hiding inside.

Full Review | Mar 1, 2021

Seeks to break down the viewer's prejudices about the predictable 'rom-com'..., but above all [the viewers prejudices] in regards to mental health. [Full review in Spanish]

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Feb 24, 2021

A unique and interesting romantic comedy that also does a great job of shedding light on the stigma of mental illness.

Common Sense Media

Movie & TV reviews for parents

• For Parents
• For Educators
• Our Work and Impact

Or browse by category:

• Movie Reviews
• Best Movie Lists
• Best Movies on Netflix, Disney+, and More

Common Sense Selections for Movies

50 Modern Movies All Kids Should Watch Before They're 12

• Best TV Lists
• Best TV Shows on Netflix, Disney+, and More
• Common Sense Selections for TV
• Video Reviews of TV Shows

Best Kids' Shows on Disney+

Best Kids' TV Shows on Netflix

• Book Reviews
• Best Book Lists
• Common Sense Selections for Books

8 Tips for Getting Kids Hooked on Books

50 Books All Kids Should Read Before They're 12

• Game Reviews
• Best Game Lists

Common Sense Selections for Games

• Video Reviews of Games

Nintendo Switch Games for Family Fun

• Podcast Reviews
• Best Podcast Lists

Common Sense Selections for Podcasts

Parents' Guide to Podcasts

• App Reviews
• Best App Lists

Social Networking for Teens

Gun-Free Action Game Apps

Reviews for AI Apps and Tools

• YouTube Channel Reviews
• YouTube Kids Channels by Topic

Parents' Ultimate Guide to YouTube Kids

YouTube Kids Channels for Gamers

• Preschoolers (2-4)
• Little Kids (5-7)
• Big Kids (8-9)
• Pre-Teens (10-12)
• Teens (13+)
• Screen Time
• Social Media
• Online Safety
• Identity and Community

How to Prepare Your Kids for School After a Summer of Screen Time

• Family Tech Planners
• Digital Skills
• All Articles
• Latino Culture
• Black Voices
• Asian Stories
• Native Narratives
• LGBTQ+ Pride
• Best of Diverse Representation List

Multicultural Books

YouTube Channels with Diverse Representations

Podcasts with Diverse Characters and Stories

Crazy about her.

• Common Sense Says
• Parents Say 0 Reviews
• Kids Say 0 Reviews

Common Sense Media Review

Quirky Spanish romcom inspires empathy; lots of swearing.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Crazy About Her is a romantic comedy in Spanish with subtitles, originally called Loco por ella . The female lead character has bipolar disorder and lives in a psychiatric care facility; many scenes take place there. Other patients' illnesses and syndromes are explored,…

Why Age 16+?

No sensitive parts or nudity, but one scene shows simulated sex, including oral

Translated from Spanish, "f--k," "d--k," "s--t," "ass," "crap," and "bitch." Pla

A couple of scenes take place in bars where where the all-adult cast drinks. Adu

A man in distress has blood on his face, but the how and why aren't shown. Sever

Rarely, brands visible or implied incidentally. Rivotril and Jell-O mentioned.

Any Positive Content?

People receiving psychiatric care or who are coping with mental illness don't ne

Adri is a good role model for empathy, perseverance, and compassion. He thinks y

Sex, Romance & Nudity

No sensitive parts or nudity, but one scene shows simulated sex, including oral sex, with a woman's bare buttock seen from the side. Several extended and passionate kisses. Oral sex mentioned in an office setting. A man remembers a past crush on his gym teacher that didn't work out because the teacher was fired for being a "pervert." Condoms are used as stakes in a poker game, and one character is teased about needing a lot of them.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Translated from Spanish, "f--k," "d--k," "s--t," "ass," "crap," and "bitch." Played for comedy and not calling names, a character uses "f-ggots" and other dated or offensive terms for demographic purposes.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

A couple of scenes take place in bars where where the all-adult cast drinks. Adults drink to excess at a wedding reception. Psychiatric patients gamble at poker with their medications and cigarettes as the stakes. Occasional cigarette smoking. A doctor offers friends several kinds of drugs for psychiatric treatment including fluoxetine, paroxetine, sertraline, and bupropion. They decline and he then offers amphetamines, marijuana, and ketamine, which they also decline. Mention of needing lithium played for comedy.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Violence & Scariness

A man in distress has blood on his face, but the how and why aren't shown. Several characters damage a car with rocks, keys, and breaking off a mirror in an act of revenge.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

Positive messages.

People receiving psychiatric care or who are coping with mental illness don't need saving, and they can't be cured by love and good intentions. They need to learn to live with and accept themselves so that they can deal with the larger world and handle people's reactions to them, and that takes time. Getting better isn't a choice, so telling someone who's depressed to smile or cheer up doesn't help. If you want to help, make sure they know that even if you don't understand what they're going through, you'll be there for them whenever they need you.

Positive Role Models

Adri is a good role model for empathy, perseverance, and compassion. He thinks you can do anything if you try, and that the only real failure is not trying at all. He learns that the psychiatric patients he meets don't need saving or fixing, and that getting better isn't a choice or something you can achieve just because you decide to try. Carla has bipolar disorder and does reckless and dangerous things when she's in a manic phase. Most of the time she's a loyal friend, and wants a "normal" life but doesn't see that as a real possibility for herself. Eventually she embraces the idea that it's OK to have up, down, and in-between times in her life.

Parents need to know that Crazy About Her is a romantic comedy in Spanish with subtitles, originally called Loco por ella . The female lead character has bipolar disorder and lives in a psychiatric care facility; many scenes take place there. Other patients' illnesses and syndromes are explored, sometimes in a gently comedic way, and inspire understanding and empathy. Strong themes about how to help, and especially what doesn't help, psychiatric patients, especially people with depression. Expect lots of swearing, especially "f--k," and including "d--k" and "s--t." "F-ggot" is used in a satirical way. A sex scene doesn't show any sensitive parts, but briefly shows simulated sex and oral sex. Several other scenes show passionate kissing. The all-adult cast drink in a bar a couple of times, and a wedding reception shows drinking to excess. Antidepressant medications and other drugs. Several scenes show smoking, and cigarettes, condoms, and prescription medications are used as stakes in a poker game. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

Where to Watch

Videos and photos.

Parent and Kid Reviews

• Parents say

There aren't any parent reviews yet. Be the first to review this title.

What's the Story?

Adri ( Alvaro Cervantes ) becomes CRAZY ABOUT HER after the most adventurous, exciting, and passionate nights he's ever spent with Carla ( Susana Abaitua ). Carla makes it clear from the beginning that this is to be a one-time thing only, and that they'll never see each other again. Adri agrees at first, but becomes obsessed with tracking Carla down so he can see her again. Eventually he finds her living in a facility for people with mental disorders. So determined is he to talk to Carla again, Adri gets himself admitted into the facility, and learns that Carla has bipolar disorder. As he starts to gain Carla's trust, he'll also have to win over her protective friends as part of the process for being released. Adri urges them to take risks, and to see what they can accomplish if they'd only try. Eventually they discover that there's no "trying" your way out of bipolar disorder. But can they learn how to live with it, together?

Is It Any Good?

This is a charming, quirky, funny, and poignant romantic comedy that refreshingly treats characters with mental disorders as whole people, and should inspire empathy and understanding from viewers. Crazy About Her treats all its characters with compassion and dignity, without ever being heavy-handed or overly sentimental. The talented cast hit all the right notes, bringing the humor in for a perfect landing every time. But it's a gentle humor mixed with genuine emotion, so if you're looking for a nonstop, side-splitting laugh-fest, this isn't it.

The characters are all adults, mostly in their 30s, but teens will relate to the rush of excitement from falling in love, and the ups and downs of figuring out a new relationship. Lots of strong language, mention of drugs, alcohol, and tobacco use, and a mature sex scene make it best for older teens and up.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about how Crazy About Her treats people with psychiatric disorders. Is it realistic? Are the characters being made fun of? When is it OK to laugh, or is it ever OK?

What about all the strong language ? Is it realistic? Does that matter? How much is too much in movies and other media?

How much sex is OK in movies, TV, games, etc.? Is there too much in this movie? Is seeing it on screen different from reading it? Does it create realistic expectations?

Movie Details

• On DVD or streaming : February 26, 2021
• Cast : Alvaro Cervantes , Susana Abaitua , Luis Zahera
• Director : Dani de la Orden
• Inclusion Information : Female actors
• Studio : Netflix
• Genre : Romance
• Topics : Adventures , Friendship
• Character Strengths : Compassion , Empathy
• Run time : 102 minutes
• MPAA rating : NR
• Last updated : July 21, 2024

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Suggest an Update

What to watch next.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

Romantic comedies, romance movies, related topics.

Want suggestions based on your streaming services? Get personalized recommendations

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

Crazy About Her

Mobile widget metaboxes

Release date

26 th March 2021

When Adri (Álvaro Cervantes) – a cynical Spanish journalist who spends his time writing trashy articles and proclaiming that he is all-knowing in how to succeed in life – meets a mysterious young woman and they embark on a wild night out together, he falls head-over-heels. The only catch is that she explicitly says that this is for one night only, disappearing into the night and accidentally leaving behind her jacket with a clue to where she lives. Adri realises the woman, Carla (Susana Abaitua) is a patient at a mental-health facility. Naturally, he pays off a doctor to sign him in so he can get her number.

Carla is none too pleased to see Adri, reminding him of their promise that they would never see each other again. Adri then realises that he has signed over his guardianship and cannot leave the facility. In order to get out, he must win over the rest of the patients, as in this facility, patients rate other patients and a high rating means getting discharged. Will Adri win over Carla as well as his freedom?

Romance films that feature mental health tread on thin ice as past movies have shown that they are heavy trivialisation and glamorisation of mental illness, particularly in women, as conditions are sometimes used to make them appear quirky and mysterious. The first half of Crazy About Her features corny dialogue and misrepresentations of mental health, implying that a random journalist can help treat people with bipolar, schizophrenia and depression. Adri’s mantra – he tells his fellow patients – is that in order to get better, you have to want to get better, only reiterating how ignorant he is to the full scope of mental conditions.

However the feature redeems itself in the second half, portraying the hardship of mental illness and how it can’t be cured by some sunshine and a more positive life philosophy. It also touches on a poignant point that although people suffering cannot depend on romance and relationships to solve their issues, it doesn’t make them unworthy of love. The ending redeems the rest of the flick’s cheesy dialogue and offers an authentic resolution for Adri and Carla, not a Hollywood fairytale finish, but a truthful one that reminds the audience that just because something will be difficult, does not mean it isn’t worth it.

Crazy About Her is released on Netflix on 26 th March 2021.

Watch the trailer for Crazy About Her here:

More in Movie reviews

Alien: Romulus

The Instigators

Borderlands

Sidebar widget metaboxes

• Action/Adventure
• Children's/Family
• Documentary/Reality
• Amazon Prime Video

More From Decider

'WWHL': Bowen Yang Says One Terrible 'SNL' Host Once Made "Multiple Cast...

Peacock's Gary Coleman Doc Questions The Late Child Actor's "Suspicious"...

Where Is Kelly Ripa? 'Live' Co-Host Missing From Today's Episode

11 Best New Movies on Netflix: August 2024's Freshest Films to Watch

'Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles' Star Josh Flagg Gives Update On His...

Kora's Scars in the 'Rebel Moon: Director's Cut' Sex Scenes Were Sofia...

11 Best New Shows on Netflix: August 2024's Top Upcoming Series to Watch

'RHONJ' Fans Slam Teresa Giudice's "Cruel" Husband Louie Ruelas For...

Share this:.

• Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)
• Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
• Click to copy URL

Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Crazy About Her’ on Netflix, An Effervescent Spanish Rom-Com With Something To Say About Who’s Really Crazy

Where to stream:.

• Crazy About Her
• Stream It Or Skip It

Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Jackpot!’ on Amazon Prime Video, an R-Rated Action-Comedy Starring John Cena and Awkwafina (Hey, That Rhymes!)

Stream it or skip it: 'emily in paris' season 4, part 1 on netflix, where emily finally chooses between alfie and gabriel, stream it or skip it: 'american murder: laci peterson' on netflix, a docu-series that shows how scott peterson went from man in mourning to convicted murderer, stream it or skip it: ‘daughters’ on netflix, a tearjerking portrait of daughters and their incarcerated fathers.

“What always ruins great nights? The morning after!” And with that, Crazy About Her (Netflix) doses the classic one night stand romantic comedy with a cocktail of clinical hijinks and character-driven ensemble dramedy. An unlikely turn, certainly. But in this film, it’s just crazy enough to work. 

CRAZY ABOUT HER : STREAM IT OR SKIP IT? 

The Gist: Adri is a swaggering writer out on the town with his friends when he meets a woman by chance. They flirt, seem to connect instantly. “I made a bet with my friends that I could pick you up!” she tells him, and gestures to a table of ladies nearby. But since we know she arrived alone on a motorcycle, the spontaneity that lives in this woman’s eyes is as much ours as it is Adri’s. But after they crash a wedding and pilfer some fancy time alone in the bridal suite, Adri is literally left in the dust, the leather jacket she left behind his only link to the mystery girl on a motorcycle.

Adri mopes around for a few days, lovelorn, but also torn because he usually lives and breathes for one night stands. Then he finds a clue, a prescription stuffed into the jacket’s inside pocket, a name, and an address. And here’s where the mystery deepens, because Carla’s home address is a mental health facility. Adri sees her through the locked ward doors, calls out. She only smiles impishly. But this guy is smitten, undeterred, and enlivened by Carla’s spontaneous spirit. His plan? Commitment. “What I want is to get into a psychiatric center,” he tells the pliant doctor his friends find for him. “I need you to sign a report saying you have treated me as your patient.” The doc is taken aback. That’s immoral! It’ll also cost 1,000 euros.

Once on the inside the facility, Carla isn’t quite as ready to fall for Adri’s romantic antics. He also can’t leave, and it turns out commitment isn’t what it was cracked up to be. But as the residents’ various mental afflictions color his time inside the facility, Adri learns a little about people’s true nature — even, you know, crazy people — and gradually starts to crack Carla’s hardened shell.

What Movies Will It Remind You Of? 1988’s The Dream Team is a terrifically zany ensemble comedy with its share of melancholic notes, tracking the misadventures of a group of mental health facility patients (including Michael Keaton and Christopher Lloyd)  loose on the streets of New York City. And while its setting and tone doesn’t match, the 2015 psychological horror series Fortitude is one of the finer recent examples of a varied ensemble facing down its individual demons.

Performance Worth Watching: As Saul, Adri’s roommate/guide to the facility and its eccentric cross-section of inhabitants, Luis Zahera is a conspiracy theorist (his favorite response to a query is “I can neither confirm nor deny that”), but also a man who trapped in the facility for much less flippant reasons than Adri. There’s a good bit of Robert De Niro’s deadpan CIA retiree from Meet the Parents going on in Zahera’s performance.

Memorable Quotes: “Are you crazy?” “We’re crazy, but we’re not fucking stupid.” “We might be deranged, but we can still hear you” — From its title on through to the dialogue between Adri and the facility’s full-time residents, Crazy About Her gets a lot of mileage out of the dynamic between “crazy,” crazy crazy , and human being.

Sex and Skin: Carla and Adri’s night of passion in the bridal suite has its share of skin.

Our Take: With the natural chemistry of the Seth Rogen-like Alvaro Cervantes as Adri and Susana Abaitua as Carla out front to lead us through its unlikely shift from romantic comedy to an ensemble essay on the sanctity of the human condition, Crazy About Her remains buoyant even as it probes the serious side of mental health issues like Tourette Syndrome, obsessive-compulsive disorders, and manic depression. “Do I seem normal to you?” Carla asks Adri when they first meet, and even then we sense her deeper meaning. What Adri considers her reckless elan, the flighty stuff rom-coms are built from, is actually one of Carla’s manic episodes, the “debut” of which was her 13-year-old self’s attempt to travel alone to London to see Pulp. As Adri learns more about her, he also begins to understand that what he loves in Carla can exist both as joyous spontaneity and something more clinical. Either way, it’s part of who Carla is.

Like the recent Andy Samberg-Cristin Miloti outing Palm Springs , Crazy About Her enjoys trolling the format it’s chosen for itself. Even though the rom-com frame is bent and broken almost immediately in favor of a heavier center, it also enjoys piecing the frame back together for the film’s big finish, where all the players unite in a full-throated emotional showdown. “I don’t need you to save me from you,” Adri tells his manic true love. “I want to be with you.” Crazy About Her ‘s recognition of the romantic comedy form as just a frame waiting to be torn off the wall is where it becomes crazy like a fox.

Our Call: STREAM IT. Crazy About Her has date night energy with the juice of an ensemble dramedy hiding inside. Like most everyone in this world, there’s a lot more going on underneath the surface.

Should you stream or skip the Spanish rom-com #CrazyAboutHer on @netflix ? #SIOSI — Decider (@decider) February 28, 2021

Johnny Loftus is an independent writer and editor living at large in Chicagoland. His work has appeared in The Village Voice, All Music Guide, Pitchfork Media, and Nicki Swift. Follow him on Twitter: @glennganges

Watch Crazy About Her on Netflix

Andy Cohen Implies That He Never Wants To See Or Hear From Bethenny Frankel Again On 'WWHL'

Does 'Yellowstone' Return Tonight? 'Yellowstone's Season 5, Part 2 Premiere Date, 'The Madison' Spin-off Updates, And More

Where's Kelly Ripa This Week? 'Live' Co-Host's Absence Stretches Into Week Two

Is 'The View' Going Off The Air?

'The View's Whoopi Goldberg Snaps At Joy Behar While Defending Harrison Butker's Controversial Commencement Speech: "Stop That!"

'Twisters' Comes to Digital, But When Will 'Twisters' Be Streaming on Peacock?

• Feb 26, 2021

Crazy About Her - Film Review

Directed by: #DaniDeLaOrden

Written by: #NataliaDurán & #EricNavarro

Starring: #ÁlvaroCervantes , #SusanaAbaitua , #LuisZahera , #AixaVillagrán , #TxellAixendri

Netflix Film Review by Taryll Baker

After a magical night together, Adri voluntarily turns himself into the psychiatric institution where Carla lives.

Netflix have been expanding their library of films and series by branching out to filmmakers in many countries, broadening the tastes of their subscribers. The latest addition is Dani de la Orden’s romantic comedy, Crazy About Her . It begins with an energetic 13-minute prologue that introduces Adri (Álvaro Cervantes), who bumps into the love of his life, Carla (Susana Abaitua), though she isn’t who he thinks she is. After agreeing to have one fun night and never see each other again, Adri checks into the psychiatric institution where Carla is treated, and the bond between the two is challenged.

During the prologue sequence, they turn up at a fancy hotel looking for drinks and a chance for something more intimate… I’m not quite sure how they managed to gatecrash a stranger’s wedding and how no one seemed to question who these two people were, but it certainly sets the tone for the rest of the film to follow. What began as your bog standard love story, quickly span into a man’s crazy adoration of a woman, and just how far he will go to see her once again for a chance at something more. But that’s not all Crazy About Her has to offer; it also shows a life behind the doors of a care home for the mentally ill and Adri comes to feel quite affected by his experience.

The chemistry Álvaro Cervantes has, not only with Susana Abaitua but the rest of the cast, is great. His performance is quite restrained, played safe but the character was written to be charming and ideal, so he plays it well. Abatiua is the tricky Carla, a hard shell to crack but definitely crackable, and her part is essential in the growth of Álvaro’s character. The two lead with a great, likeable presence. As for the screenplay they’re working from; it’s a little shaky. Some moments seem a touch too convenient or rushed through, but the concept is interesting and at times fairly entertaining.

During the third act, things start taking a turn and thus the pacing seemed to slow up. But, the ending is just as energetic as the prologue that began the film — the same race against the clock, the exciting fast-paced editing and dramatic choices being made by characters. It wraps up with enough to satisfy the rom-com lover inside of you, if you’re willing to let it.

Crazy About Her has its cliché’s and typical themes, but it also has a heart, slowly beating away. For the most part this is an enjoyable exploration of self-worth, recognition, and finding yourself through others. But above all else, it serves as a reminder to be kind. Because, even for the most troubled of souls, kindness can go a very long way.

Crazy About Her is now streaming on Netflix.

#TaryllBaker

• World Cinema

Listen to our Film Podcast

Get your Film Reviewed

Request a Filmmaker Interview

Watch our Film Reviews

Crazy About Her – Netflix Movie Review

Surprisingly Well Balanced Dramedy

The crazy thing about Crazy About Her is just how well the movie balances its comedy and drama. For every laugh out loud moment is an equally tense and surprisingly thought provoking segment, showing the very difficult and heartbreaking reality of mental illness.

It’s just a shame that the movie is shackled to a generic romcom plot because if this had a stronger anchor, it could quite easily be a real dark horse gem of 2021.

On paper, the story has all the ingredients to completely fail. Here, we follow magazine writer Adri, who boasts about being able to woo any woman in a bar with a few well-timed pick-up lines. Determined to prove his co-workers right, he’s interrupted by a bubbly, eccentric stranger called Carla, who “accidentally” bumps into him and encourages Adri to buy her a drink.

One drink leads to crashing a wedding reception, which in turn leads to an eventful one night stand. The only trouble is, Adri has real feelings for this girl and struggles to shake off the hangover her heady cocktail of fun and mischief have left in the morning. One thing leads to another and Adri eventually finds Carla… in a psychiatric institution.

In an elaborate, whimsical ploy to win her over, Adri voluntarily turns himself in. The only trouble is, Adri’s unable to leave again until he can prove he’s mentally sane.

Along the way, Adri meets a number of colourful inmates, each with their own quirks and unique subplots that are explored and developed across the course of this 100 minute picture.

While that sounds like a long time for a comedy, the film’s pitch-perfect tone switches between comedy and poignant drama at a dime – and at just the right moment too. Given the subject material, this could so easily have devolved into a cringey, over-acted nightmare but somehow the film manages to get things just right.

In a way, this feels like a bizarre mash-up of One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest, 50 First Dates, Patch Adams and every cheesy romcom you’ve ever seen. In theory, it has absolutely no right to work but somehow the film comes out the other side smelling of roses.

Now, again, this film won’t be for everyone. There’s some pretty heavy themes tackled and the style of humour is likely to be one of those love/hate affairs with many people. Likewise, the generic love story hits all the usual, tired clichés including the fallout, betrayal, misunderstanding and dramatic confessions, unashamedly sticking to the tried and tested rather than switching things up.

However, where Crazy About Her excels is in depicting what’s happening outside the main romance. I won’t spoil anything here, as it’s best to go into this one blind, but Saul and Marta are among the best written characters in the movie and both are armed with some great subplots. Undoubtedly, you’ll find yourself getting far more invested in their stories.

What begins as a funny romcom with a few neat little twists soon grows into an impactful film about mental health and how society views others. It’s a surprisingly well rounded picture, a dramedy with a wicked hook and some well timed jokes. It certainly won’t be for everyone but if you can go into this with an open mind and look past the generic romance, there’s a lot to like with this one.

Click Here To Go Back To Our Movie Reviews

• Verdict - 7/10 7/10

Leave a comment

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Home » Streaming Service » Netflix

Crazy About Her – the ending explained

This article discusses the ending of the Spanish Netflix film Crazy About Her, so it will contain major spoilers.

Read the review .

With Adri throwing himself into a psychiatric home, it appeared at first that all hope had been lost for the hopeless romantic to find an understanding with Carla; she is the single reason he’s admitted himself into the home so he can see her. One of the main themes of Crazy About Her  is that Carla has type 1 bipolar disorder , and she was on a euphoric high the first time she met Adri. As the characters develop their relationship in the psychiatric home, it becomes apparent that Carla is concerned about how she can have a relationship with someone she has intense feelings for.

Netflix’s Crazy About Her  – the ending explained

As we reach the third act of Netflix’s Crazy About Her,  Carla has another episode, which Adri did not see coming. One night, Adri has to save her from the roof. The next day, Carla is on a drip, and she tells him she does not want to see him again — she is dismayed because he promised her she could find a way with this disease.

Luckily, the facility director finally finds evidence to show Adri should not have been admitted to the place and that he did, in fact, fool them.

Adri returns to his normal life, working as a journalist for a fancy lifestyle magazine, while Carla remains at the psychiatric home.

What happens next?

However, in true romantic genre form, once Carla is stabilized on the medication, she has a change of heart, and she’s annoyed that Adri gave up on her. She rallies her friends to escape the facility and confronts Adri in the middle of the office at his work. Adri explains that the only reason he gave up is that she told him to, but she sly replies that she’s bipolar.

She warns him that there will be dark days, euphoric days, and days where she will want to kill him, and he will want to kill her, but Adri tells her he wants her regardless.

The ending of Crazy About Her  finishes with Carla returning to the psychiatric home, but she gives Adri her number before she walks through the gates. She could have given it to him at the start! But obviously, the irony is the point here.

More Stories

• Best Romance Movies on Netflix Of All Time

Article by Daniel Hart

Daniel is the co-founder of Ready Steady Cut and has served as Editor-in-Chief since 2017. Since then, Dan has been at the top of his game by ensuring that we only produce and upload content of exceptional quality and that we’re up to date with the latest additions to the streaming and entertainment world.

Review - The Bad Batch

Big Timber season 2 review - big tools, big trees, big bucks.

This website cannot be displayed as your browser is extremely out of date.

Please update your browser to one of the following: Chrome , Firefox , Edge

Crazy About Her Movie

Who's Involved:

Eduardo Antuña, Nil Cardonder, Susana Abaitua, Alberto San Juan, Álvaro Cervantes, Aaron Porras, Natalia Durán, Luis Zahera, Dani de la Orden, Eric Navarro, Paula Malia, Txell Aixendri, Aixa Villagran, Ferran Rañé, Rocío León, Kike García

Release Date:

Friday, February 26, 2021 Netflix

Plot: What's the story about?

After a magical one night stand with cryptic & enigmatic Carla (Susana Abaitua), Adri (Álvaro Cervantes) decides to admit himself at the mental institution where Carla resides in order to see her again, but he will soon discover that checking himself out will not be as easy as he thought.

3.00 / 5 stars ( 2 users)

Poll: Will you see Crazy About Her?

Who stars in Crazy About Her: Cast List

Álvaro Cervantes

Love at First Kiss  

Susana Abaitua

Love at First Kiss, Sounds Like Love  

Luis Zahera

Txell Aixendri

Nil Cardonder

Eduardo Antuña

Aixa Villagran

Paula Malia

Aaron Porras

Ferran Rañé

Alberto San Juan

The Other Side of the Bed, Km. 0  

Rocío León

Who's making Crazy About Her: Crew List

A look at the Crazy About Her behind-the-scenes crew and production team.

Dani de la Orden

Screenwriters

Natalia Durán Eric Navarro

Production Companies

Watch crazy about her trailers & videos.

No trailer available.

Production: What we know about Crazy About Her?

Filming timeline.

• 2020 - December : The film was set to Completed  status.

Crazy About Her Release Date: When was the film released?

Crazy About Her was a Netflix release in 2021 on Friday, February 26, 2021 . There were 12 other movies released on the same date, including Tom and Jerry , The Father and The United States vs. Billie Holiday .

Q&A Asked about Crazy About Her

Seen the movie? Rate It!

Also known as

• Loco Por Ella
• Call Me Crazy

Advertisement

Follow the Updates

• Thu., Dec. 31, 2020
• added "Call Me Crazy" as an also known as title
• added "Loco Por Ella" as an also known as title
• changed the US film release date from March 15, 2021 to February 26, 2021
• set film release to Netflix
• added Kike García as actor to movie credits
• added Rocío León as actor to movie credits
• added Alberto San Juan as actor to movie credits
• added Ferran Rañé as actor to movie credits
• added Aaron Porras as actor to movie credits
• added Paula Malia as actor to movie credits

Looking for more information on Crazy About Her?

Across the web.

• Get Tickets + Showtimes
• Get Digital Copy
• Buy on Amazon
• More Info on IMDb

Get the latest on upcoming movies before everyone else!

Crazy About Her Ending, Explained

‘Crazy About Her’ (also known as Loco por ella) is a Spanish romantic-comedy film directed by Dani de la Orden ( ‘Elite’ ) and written by Natalia Duran and Eric Navarro. The film stars Alvaro Cervantes, and Susana Abaitua in the lead roles. It revolves around Adri, who willingly admits himself to a psychiatric treatment center to meet Carla, the woman he has fallen in love with after spending one crazy night together.

The film attempts to talk about the difficult aspects of love and tries to change the notion of romantic comedies by tackling a serious subject. After a few twists and turns along the way, the film arrives at its climax but just when we begin to expect a happy ending, it delivers a bittersweet final scene that requires some explanation. If you have questions about the ending of ‘Crazy About Her,’ we hope to provide you with some answers. SPOILERS AHEAD.

Crazy About Her Plot Synopsis

The film introduces us to the optimistic Adri and impulsive Carla in the opening scenes. Adri bumps into Carla at a club and flirts with him. She says that she only wants a one-night fling and insists that they part ways after having a perfect night together. After Carla leaves, Adri is left with her jacket, and all he knows about the woman is her name. He spends the next few days ignoring the connection he felt with Carla and goes to work.

Soon, Adri starts missing Carla and realizes he loves her. He finds a clue in the jacket’s pocket, which leads him to the psychiatric facility where Carla resides. Adri realizes that the only way to get in is by admitting himself into the facility as a patient. With a friend’s help, Adri gets a doctor to sign on documents that state that he has been diagnosed with depression. Using the forged documents, Adri admits himself at the facility.

When he finally meets Carla, she is not as thrilled to see Adri as he expected and instead asks him to leave. He tells Carla that he is in love with her, but she shuts Adri down, saying he knows nothing about her. Adri is discouraged and hurt. He tries to leave, but the Director of the facility makes it pretty clear that he cannot leave until he is fully recovered from depression. How Adri manages to win over Carla and get out of the facility makes up for the rest of the plot.

Crazy About Her Ending: Do Carla and Adri Get Back Together?

The entire movie is built around Adri’s desire to date Carla. He even goes to the extent of admitting himself to the psychiatric facility Carla lives in. Soon, Carla falls in love with him, but after the accident on the roof, she finds out that Adri has told the doctors that she hasn’t been taking her meds. She is enraged at Adri and breaks up with him. Shortly after this, Adri’s derogatory article about the people living with mental illness is published and read by his friends at the facility, and they refuse to speak to him.

Consequently, Adri is allowed to step out of the facility. After leaving, Adri publishes an article about how he was wrong in trying to save Carla. He says that Carla doesn’t need saving and needs to be appreciated for who she is. He understands why they can no longer be together but claims he will always be madly in love with her. Adri’s article touches Carla, and along with the group, she escapes from the facility to meet Adri. She arrives at his office and scolds him for giving up on her so easily.

After Adri admits that he still wants to be with her, she explains that her bipolar disorder will make things difficult for him, and he will have to deal with her without trying to change her or giving up on her. Adri gladly agrees and promises never to give up. The two kiss and have another wild night together, reminiscent of the first time they met. They are both happy and enjoy their time together until Carla has to go back to the facility.

Adri drops her at the facility, and before she goes inside, Carla gives him her phone number. He promises to call her as soon as she gets out of the facility. In the last scene, as Carla walks inside the facility’s gate, she pauses for a moment, her eyes are teary, and her face looks sad. She continues walking as we cut to black. Although Carla and Adri did get back together, it was only for a brief moment. At the end of the film, the two go their separate ways.

What Is The Significance of The Parting Scene?

The film beautifully tells the story of Adri and Carla and stresses why they cannot be together. Adri is optimistic and cheerful. He has never faced any struggle or trauma in his life and always fits in anywhere he goes. Unlike him, Carla has type 1 bipolar disorder and finds it hard to control her feelings. She soon realizes that to be with Adri, she will have to change, and not knowing if that is possible or if she can get better, Carla has an episode that drives them apart. They spend a night together but in the end part ways. However, the last scene indicates that Carla is sad when Adri leaves her at the facility.

One explanation of the ending is that she wants Adri to join her and live inside the facility. She pauses to check whether he follows her inside, just like he followed her not long after they met. Alas, he doesn’t, and Carla continues walking inside the facility. It can also be interpreted as a visual representation of the worlds the two characters belong to. As the Director states, the facility teaches its patients to live with themselves the way they are. No matter how good their intentions, the people outside the facility will always try to change the people living with mental illness.

As much as Adri and Carla love each other, they know that the facility is the best place for Carla, at least for now. Adri represents the world outside the facility, while Carla represents the world inside the facility. Whichever interpretation you choose to believe, the impact of the final scene remains the same. The ending succeeds in creating a conversation about the two characters’ fate and thus forces us to rethink the way we look at people who have a mental illness and challenges us to create a definition of love that is not influenced by films.

Read More: Is Crazy About Her a True Story?

SPONSORED LINKS

• Movie Explainers
• TV Explainers

Letterboxd — Your life in film

Forgotten username or password ?

• Start a new list…
• Add all films to a list…
• Add all films to watchlist

Add to your films…

Press Tab to complete, Enter to create

A moderator has locked this field.

Add to lists

Where to watch

Crazy about her, loco por ella.

Directed by Dani de la Orden

After a magical night together, Adri voluntarily turns himself into the psychiatric institution where Carla lives.

Álvaro Cervantes Susana Abaitua Luis Zahera Aixa Villagrán Txell Aixendri Nil Cardoner Eduardo Antuña Paula Malia Clara Segura Maria Ribera Francesc Ferrer Aarón Porras Mireia Portas Eduard Gibert Iris Vallés Torres Rocío León Kike García Charlie Pee Jordi Bosch Laura Conejero Ferran Rañé Adeline Flaun Cristian Valencia Claudia Melo Eduard Benito Alexia Luna Aleix Muñoz Alberto San Juan

Director Director

Dani de la Orden

Writers Writers

Eric Navarro Natalia Durán

Sábado Películas Loco Por Ti AIE

Releases by Date

26 feb 2021, releases by country.

• Digital Netflix
• Digital R18+

South Korea

• Digital 18 Netflix
• Theatrical 16
• Digital 15 Netflix

102 mins   More at IMDb TMDb Report this page

Popular reviews

Review by nabeel ★★★★ 2

waittttt why was this so good. it’s definitely cheesy at times but i think that works in this case and the emotional core is so solid that by the end it totally won me over

Review by Elo ★★★½

Saúl quieres ser mi papa

Review by floreana ★★ 1

se robaban una frase del joker como si nada same

Review by GUIBOB ★★ 2

English🇺🇸/Français🇨🇦🇫🇷

En In Crazy About Her, I absolutely didn’t believe the love story, which is sad because it was the main theme of this film.

Firstly, I didn’t like any of the main characters, which didn’t help with my experience. There was an artificial feeling to this film and it just didn’t connect with me. I didn’t feel any connection between the leads, and was left waiting for the film to end. There was one side story that was actually interesting, well more than the main plot, and every scenes that I enjoyed the most featured this side story. Secondly, The acting didn’t bother me. I think everyone did an acceptable job, with Luis Zahera giving the best and most…

Review by carlosuarez_ ★★★

Luis Zahera, un diez de diez

Review by nini ★★

im sorry but i think this is too much of a heavy subject to be treated like this in a pretty mediocre romcom

Review by geral ★★

no digo que romantizaran las enfermedades mentales pero acaso no parece que hicieron un poco hermoso ir a un psiquiátrico cuando es probablemente una de las experiencias más horribles

Review by dk ★

As a psychology student, let me say this: STOP ROMANTICIZING MENTAL ILLNESS

Review by candela ★★★

He llorado mucho pero he sentido mucho cringe también

Review by johanacorkill ½

Netflix be hiring writers who have never had a conversation with anyone ever

Review by Michelle ½

Wow I genuinely hated this film and the way it portrayed mental health (despite it having a message of accepting mental health issues).

Adri is literally the embodiment of "a woman set clear boundaries and I agreed to those boundaries, but if I bother her enough eventually she'll change her mind." He's SO creepily persistent and has a weird savior complex. He's extremely condescending towards the other patients even after he becomes "friends" with them, and I am unconvinced he actually cares about Carla's wellbeing (he's also the embodiment of "just think differently, no need to get treatment!") Carla is also just the manic pixie girl trope here. The film never portrays Adri in a bad light despite his attitude,…

Review by irezzzzzzzzzzzz

hacia el minuto 6 el tío dice “ou mama” y la he quitado

Select your preferred backdrop

Select your preferred poster, upgrade to remove ads.

Letterboxd is an independent service created by a small team, and we rely mostly on the support of our members to maintain our site and apps. Please consider upgrading to a Pro account —for less than a couple bucks a month, you’ll get cool additional features like all-time and annual stats pages ( example ), the ability to select (and filter by) your favorite streaming services, and no ads!

Join or Sign In

Sign in to customize your TV listings

By joining TV Guide, you agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy .

• TV Listings
• Cast & Crew

Crazy About Her Reviews

• 1 hr 42 mins
• Watchlist Where to Watch

Adri becomes a patient at a psychiatric center in order to see his one-night stand, Carla, again, who is a patient there.

Crazy About Her (2021) Stream and Watch Online

Watch 'crazy about her' online.

Fancy watching ' Crazy About Her ' on your TV or mobile device at home? Tracking down a streaming service to buy, rent, download, or view the Dani de la Orden-directed movie via subscription can be tricky, so we here at Moviefone want to do the heavy lifting. We've listed a number of streaming and cable services - including rental, purchase, and subscription options - along with the availability of 'Crazy About Her' on each platform when they are available. Now, before we get into the fundamentals of how you can watch 'Crazy About Her' right now, here are some particulars about the Sábado Películas, Loco Por Ti AIE comedy flick. Released February 26th, 2021, 'Crazy About Her' stars Álvaro Cervantes , Susana Abaitua , Luis Zahera , Aixa Villagrán The movie has a runtime of about 1 hr 42 min, and received a user score of 72 (out of 100) on TMDb, which assembled reviews from 452 experienced users. Want to know what the movie's about? Here's the plot: "After a magical night together, Adri voluntarily turns himself into the psychiatric institution where Carla lives." 'Crazy About Her' is currently available to rent, purchase, or stream via subscription on Netflix , and Netflix basic with Ads .

'Crazy About Her' Release Dates

Similar movies.

Movie Reviews

Follow Moviefone

Latest trailers.

Crazy About Her (2021)

Full cast & crew.

Directed by 

Writing Credits (in alphabetical order)  

Cast (in credits order)  

Produced by 

Music by 

Cinematography by , editing by , casting by , production design by , costume design by , makeup department .

Production Management 

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director 

Art Department 

Sound Department 

Special Effects by 

Visual Effects by 

Stunts 

Camera and Electrical Department 

Casting Department 

Costume and Wardrobe Department 

Editorial Department 

Location Management 

Music Department 

Script and Continuity Department 

Transportation Department 

Additional Crew 

Thanks 

Release Dates | Official Sites | Company Credits | Filming & Production | Technical Specs

Contribute to This Page

• Full Cast and Crew
• Release Dates
• Official Sites
• Company Credits
• Filming & Production
• Technical Specs
• Plot Summary
• Plot Keywords
• Parents Guide

Did You Know?

• Crazy Credits
• Alternate Versions
• Connections
• Soundtracks

Photo & Video

• Photo Gallery
• Trailers and Videos
• User Reviews
• User Ratings
• External Reviews
• Metacritic Reviews

Related Items

• External Sites

Related lists from IMDb users

Recently Viewed

• Today's news
• Reviews and deals
• Climate change
• 2024 election
• Newsletters
• Fall allergies
• Health news
• Mental health
• Sexual health
• Family health
• So mini ways
• Unapologetically
• Buying guides

Entertainment

• How to Watch
• My watchlist
• Stock market
• Biden economy
• Personal finance
• Stocks: most active
• Stocks: gainers
• Stocks: losers
• Trending tickers
• World indices
• US Treasury bonds
• Top mutual funds
• Highest open interest
• Highest implied volatility
• Currency converter
• Basic materials
• Communication services
• Consumer cyclical
• Consumer defensive
• Financial services
• Industrials
• Real estate
• Mutual funds
• Credit cards
• Balance transfer cards
• Cash back cards
• Rewards cards
• Travel cards
• Online checking
• High-yield savings
• Money market
• Home equity loan
• Personal loans
• Student loans
• Options pit
• Fantasy football
• Pro Pick 'Em
• College Pick 'Em
• Fantasy baseball
• Fantasy hockey
• Fantasy basketball
• Download the app
• Daily fantasy
• Scores and schedules
• GameChannel
• World Baseball Classic
• Premier League
• CONCACAF League
• Champions League
• Motorsports
• Horse racing

New on Yahoo

• Privacy Dashboard

‘Chimp Crazy’ review: A real-life horror show about keeping chimpanzees as pets

In the 1997 movie “Buddy,” Rene Russo plays a wealthy, eccentric collector of wild animals. Hoarder might be a more fitting description. Chimpanzees are among the animals in her possession. Alan Cumming co-stars and he’s interviewed in the deeply unsettling four-part HBO docuseries “Chimp Crazy” talking about his experiences on the film, which he says is “really about the fact that you can’t tame wild things, you have to let them be themselves. You have to let them go.” Of course, the irony is that in order to capture that on screen, the animals used in the film weren’t allowed to be themselves at all, but some unnatural version of what Hollywood — and their trainers — wanted.

Director Eric Goode previously made “Tiger King” for Netflix, and with this project he offers another excoriating look at the exotic animal industry, specifically private chimpanzee ownership in the U.S. The series’ primary focus is a woman named Tonia Haddix. At the outset, she is working at a deceptively official-sounding facility called the Missouri Primate Foundation, where a chimp named Tonka — who appeared alongside Cumming in “Buddy” — is now middle-aged and kept alone in a cage.

“My understanding of what happened to Tonka after his Hollywood career ended was that he retired to Palm Springs,” says Cumming, perhaps naively. “That’s what I was told.”

Instead, Tonka is housed in that Missouri location, which is owned by a longtime chimp breeder named Connie Cassie. According to the documentary, she is responsible for three-quarters of the captive-bred chimps in the U.S. She does not want to talk on camera, but Haddix is eager to do so in her place.

Haddix has an ostentatious appearance and calls herself the “Dolly Parton of chimps,” with her big blonde hair, acrylic nails and buxom figure. She’s an accommodating and talkative documentary subject, but also something of a performance artist who will go to great lengths to maintain the fiction that there’s nothing wrong with keeping chimps as pets.

When Cumming learns of Tonka’s fate, he has concerns. Goode asks if he worries people will accuse him of being a hypocrite. “Well, I don’t worry about it,” Cumming replies. “It’s true. But that’s 30 years ago and I have changed and the world has changed. I think they’re right.”

Goode occasionally appears on camera, because the making of this documentary is also part of the story. Goode says that because of his work on “Tiger King,” he is treated with suspicion by those in the exotic animal industry. So he hires a “proxy director” named Dwayne Cunningham (who had a circus background before becoming “involved in the animal industry,” as he puts it) to go undercover and film the portions with Haddix.

This decision crosses all kinds of ethical lines. Documentary filmmaking doesn’t necessarily follow the kind of editorial standards that might apply to investigative journalism. Who is Goode answerable to, exactly? Unclear. Is it fair for a filmmaker to lie to a person in order to gain their trust and consent? It’s a worthy debate, and the series isn’t necessarily glib about it either. Whether you agree with Goode’s tactics or not, I wish he had been more transparent about his thought process. Audiences deserve a richer context that would have deepened everyone’s media literacy, because the other more clear and obvious moral quandaries — about how these chimps are treated — have a way of overpowering any other uneasiness viewers may have about the project.

Captivity in someone’s private home is detrimental to these animals. But humans often pay a price as well when chimps grow to their full size and violently rebel from their “humanzee” existence. Goode goes into detail about two notorious attacks and the details are devastating to all involved. “He ripped her face off!” a chimp owner in Connecticut can be heard on a 911 call, amidst sounds of the chimp’s distressed screeching. A visiting friend, who had known the chimp since it was a baby, was attacked and lost her eyes, her nose, her jaw and part of her skull. Amazingly, she survived. Here’s how the stepdaughter of the chimp’s owner describes what happened next: “After having her friend be completely torn up and almost killed by a chimp, (she) went out one year later and bought herself another chimp. It’s insane when you think about it.”

In Missouri, when Haddix shows Cunningham and the film crew around the premises, the chimps are loud and agitated, banging on the bars and walls. She feeds them McDonald's and sports drinks as treats. The Missouri Primate Foundation was originally a for-profit company called Chimparty, which hired out young and pliable chimps as birthday party entertainment. Some of the chimps were also used as animal actors, or models for greeting cards.

A volunteer named Angela Scott says, “The older chimps that weren’t doing parties, they didn’t get a lot of attention. They sit in a cage and do nothing all day long.” Journalist Peter Laufer describes the location as a “ghastly prison for chimpanzees” and says Cassie is “operating the equivalent of a puppy mill.” When she changed Chimparty to the nonprofit Missouri Primate Foundation, Laufer calls it a form of greenwashing.

Eventually, Scott contacted People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals and provided proof that the chips were being held in barren enclosures “strewn with trash and their own waste.” PETA sued in 2017, asking the court to transfer the chimps to an accredited sanctuary. The judge agreed. But on the day of the move, Tonka was missing. Where was Tonka? Haddix claimed he had recently died.

HBO is categorizing certain aspects of the documentary as spoilers, which I will respect, however the story has been widely reported already and facts are not “spoilers.” Framing them as such is yet another questionable ethical choice here, but Goode’s methods are legitimately gripping, even if they stray into all kinds of gray areas. I found that the docuseries stayed with me for days after I watched, and it has affected how I think about all our interactions with animals, both domesticated and wild. These relationships can turn sour when humans force animals into situations that suit us but not them, and expect unconditional love, or something like it, when the reality is far more complicated.

Haddix and many others talk about the chimps as if they are their children, rather than a different species with psychological needs all their own. It’s a mindset that seems rooted in the desire to be needed, but also a desire to control another living creature in ways you simply can not with human beings, who will talk back and tell you to buzz off. Of course, once big enough, chimps will do the same. Not with words, but with their actions.

“I think she feels that nobody needs her, ” says Haddix’s son. “I love her to death and tell her all the time. I think if you asked her, she would say that I don’t need her and she’s not important in my life, which is very untrue.” But that’s where the attraction to these primates comes in, he says. “They’re like children that never grow up. So they’re constantly going to need her care, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.”

'CHIMP CRAZY'

3 stars (out of 4)

Rating: TV-MA

How to watch: 10 p.m. ET Aug. 18 on HBO, with three more episodes premiering each successive Sunday (and streaming on Max)

• ADMIN AREA MY BOOKSHELF MY DASHBOARD MY PROFILE SIGN OUT SIGN IN

MEN HAVE CALLED HER CRAZY

by Anna Marie Tendler ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 13, 2024

An intensive, conversational portrait of one woman’s battle with mental illness.

A chronicle of a woman’s life upended by severe depression and anxiety after a difficult childhood.

In her unreserved memoir, artist Tendler exposes her consistent struggle with depression and self-harm since she was a teenager. In early 2021, at age 35, after decades of severe anxiety and depressive behavior successfully managed by medication, the author’s self-injury tendencies, disordered eating, and suicidal ideation resurfaced. Following her therapist’s advice, she checked herself into a “full-blown psychiatric hospital,” covered in self-inflicted scissor cuts. Seeking out the source of her mental illness, Tendler reflects on her childhood, when she struggled socially and was bullied in grade school. She also tolerated volatile, incompatible parents who “toughed-out” her illnesses with homeopathic remedies, only resorting to conventional medicine after her raging infections became unbearable. Craving love and validation, Tendler dated boys (and a series of older men) “who would pay attention to me.” Her coping mechanisms were cutting and her dog, Petunia. The author writes candidly of her adult years prior to her breakdown when she attended graduate school for fashion, until the mandatory solitude of the Covid-19 pandemic exacerbated an already simmering depression. The author concludes with a psychiatric dual diagnosis, though Tendler contends that some of the source of her rage and depression has been her complicated relationships with men. The author’s calm, affable narration belies the seriousness of her condition, and the striking detail she provides offers readers a clear sense of the rigorous inpatient psychotherapy process meant to disarm anxiety and return a sense of normalcy. While Tendler admits that her condition is a lifelong struggle, the book ends on a hopeful note, with the author on the path to maintaining a happy, structured life. She does not elaborate on her former marriage to comedian John Mulaney.

Pub Date: Aug. 13, 2024

ISBN: 9781668032343

Page Count: 304

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Review Posted Online: June 15, 2024

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2024

PSYCHOLOGY | WOMEN & FEMINISM | GENERAL BIOGRAPHY & MEMOIR

Share your opinion of this book

Awards & Accolades

Our Verdict

New York Times Bestseller

by Stephanie Johnson & Brandon Stanton illustrated by Henry Sene Yee ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 12, 2022

A blissfully vicarious, heartfelt glimpse into the life of a Manhattan burlesque dancer.

A former New York City dancer reflects on her zesty heyday in the 1970s.

Discovered on a Manhattan street in 2020 and introduced on Stanton’s Humans of New York Instagram page, Johnson, then 76, shares her dynamic history as a “fiercely independent” Black burlesque dancer who used the stage name Tanqueray and became a celebrated fixture in midtown adult theaters. “I was the only black girl making white girl money,” she boasts, telling a vibrant story about sex and struggle in a bygone era. Frank and unapologetic, Johnson vividly captures aspects of her former life as a stage seductress shimmying to blues tracks during 18-minute sets or sewing lingerie for plus-sized dancers. Though her work was far from the Broadway shows she dreamed about, it eventually became all about the nightly hustle to simply survive. Her anecdotes are humorous, heartfelt, and supremely captivating, recounted with the passion of a true survivor and the acerbic wit of a weathered, street-wise New Yorker. She shares stories of growing up in an abusive household in Albany in the 1940s, a teenage pregnancy, and prison time for robbery as nonchalantly as she recalls selling rhinestone G-strings to prostitutes to make them sparkle in the headlights of passing cars. Complemented by an array of revealing personal photographs, the narrative alternates between heartfelt nostalgia about the seedier side of Manhattan’s go-go scene and funny quips about her unconventional stage performances. Encounters with a variety of hardworking dancers, drag queens, and pimps, plus an account of the complexities of a first love with a drug-addled hustler, fill out the memoir with personality and candor. With a narrative assist from Stanton, the result is a consistently titillating and often moving story of human struggle as well as an insider glimpse into the days when Times Square was considered the Big Apple’s gloriously unpolished underbelly. The book also includes Yee’s lush watercolor illustrations.

Pub Date: July 12, 2022

ISBN: 978-1-250-27827-2

Page Count: 192

Publisher: St. Martin's

Review Posted Online: July 27, 2022

BIOGRAPHY & MEMOIR | ENTERTAINMENT, SPORTS & CELEBRITY | GENERAL BIOGRAPHY & MEMOIR

More by Brandon Stanton

BOOK REVIEW

by Brandon Stanton

by Brandon Stanton photographed by Brandon Stanton

by Brandon Stanton ; photographed by Brandon Stanton

LOVE, PAMELA

by Pamela Anderson ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 31, 2023

A juicy story with some truly crazy moments, yet Anderson's good heart shines through.

The iconic model tells the story of her eventful life.

According to the acknowledgments, this memoir started as "a fifty-page poem and then grew into hundreds of pages of…more poetry." Readers will be glad that Anderson eventually turned to writing prose, since the well-told anecdotes and memorable character sketches are what make it a page-turner. The poetry (more accurately described as italicized notes-to-self with line breaks) remains strewn liberally through the pages, often summarizing the takeaway or the emotional impact of the events described: "I was / and still am / an exceptionally / easy target. / And, / I'm proud of that ." This way of expressing herself is part of who she is, formed partly by her passion for Anaïs Nin and other writers; she is a serious maven of literature and the arts. The narrative gets off to a good start with Anderson’s nostalgic memories of her childhood in coastal Vancouver, raised by very young, very wild, and not very competent parents. Here and throughout the book, the author displays a remarkable lack of anger. She has faced abuse and mistreatment of many kinds over the decades, but she touches on the most appalling passages lightly—though not so lightly you don't feel the torment of the media attention on the events leading up to her divorce from Tommy Lee. Her trip to the pages of Playboy , which involved an escape from a violent fiance and sneaking across the border, is one of many jaw-dropping stories. In one interesting passage, Julian Assange's mother counsels Anderson to desexualize her image in order to be taken more seriously as an activist. She decided that “it was too late to turn back now”—that sexy is an inalienable part of who she is. Throughout her account of this kooky, messed-up, enviable, and often thrilling life, her humility (her sons "are true miracles, considering the gene pool") never fails her.

Pub Date: Jan. 31, 2023

ISBN: 9780063226562

Page Count: 256

Publisher: Dey Street/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: Dec. 5, 2022

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2023

More About This Book

SEEN & HEARD

• Discover Books Fiction Thriller & Suspense Mystery & Detective Romance Science Fiction & Fantasy Nonfiction Biography & Memoir Teens & Young Adult Children's
• News & Features Bestsellers Book Lists Profiles Perspectives Awards Seen & Heard Book to Screen Kirkus TV videos In the News
• Kirkus Prize Winners & Finalists About the Kirkus Prize Kirkus Prize Judges
• Magazine Current Issue All Issues Manage My Subscription Subscribe
• Writers’ Center Hire a Professional Book Editor Get Your Book Reviewed Advertise Your Book Launch a Pro Connect Author Page Learn About The Book Industry
• More Kirkus Diversity Collections Kirkus Pro Connect My Account/Login
• About Kirkus History Our Team Contest FAQ Press Center Info For Publishers
• Privacy Policy
• Terms & Conditions
• Reprints, Permission & Excerpting Policy

© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Popular in this Genre

Hey there, book lover.

We’re glad you found a book that interests you!

Please select an existing bookshelf

Create a new bookshelf.

We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!

Please sign up to continue.

It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!

Already have an account? Log in.

Trouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.

Almost there!

• Industry Professional

Welcome Back!

Sign in using your Kirkus account

Contact us: 1-800-316-9361 or email [email protected].

Don’t fret. We’ll find you.

Magazine Subscribers ( How to Find Your Reader Number )

If You’ve Purchased Author Services

Don’t have an account yet? Sign Up.