Luckiest Girl Alive is a film adaptation of Jessica Knoll’s 2015 mystery novel of the same name. The movie was #1 on the top ten list on Netflix Canada when it was released. 

With 113 minutes run time, Luckiest Girl Alive is a quick watch for those strapped for time. The film is about a 28-year-old woman named TifAni “Ani” Fanelli . who’s a successful writer and editor at a New York magazine. In addition to her personal success, her fiancée is also doing well for himself. However, her perfect world starts to crumble when she meets a documentarian who is digging into events surrounding  past trauma from her teenage years.

This movie is something that I didn’t expect. The title matches the first half of the film, but that changes over the course of the film.. For instance, the protagonist went through a lot of challenges during her teenage years. She was victim-blamed for everything, which resulted in many of her traumas.

All around, the performances were great. Mila Kunis, who played Ani, felt genuine and real; her character was annoying to start, but develops as the story unfolds and the character’s past is revealed.

I wasn’t a huge fan of the cinematography, which was mainlyraw shots and simple editing, though the style choices went well with the mystery of the narrative.

If you’re looking for a film that tackles trauma and how an individual eventually overcomes it, this movie is for you; it has a fair amount of plot twists as well. The film is empowering to women and expresses the importance of standing up for what they believe is right. 

3.5/5 Stars