We watched it so you don’t have to: ‘To The Bone’
Logline: Lily Collins (Okja) and her epic eyebrows suffer from poor little white girl syndrome while battling anorexia. Verdict: This movie of the week has most of the hallmarks of its genre, but with the added bonus of Keanu Reeves (The Bad Batch). Sadly, the star power of the aforementioned plus Phil Collins’s daughter can’t save this outing from being trope-filled & cliche-driven. Lily Collins gets props for both enviable eyebrows and method-acting dedication. (She starved herself prior to filming and looks frightful.) Underwritten characters make this piece nothing but clickbait for the streaming giant – a disappointment as both Collins and director Marti Noxon (Code Black) have been outspoken about their struggles with anorexia. This ain’t no The Karen Carpenter Story. — To The Bone is streaming on Netflix now.
Streaming Availability
To The Bone remains on Netflix and Netflix Standard with Ads as of July 2026. The 2017 release has stayed in rotation without interruption, giving new viewers the same access the original review promised.
Personal Connections of Cast and Director
Both Collins and Noxon assessed their own recovery status before signing on. Noxon has noted that certain scenes risk activating rumination for some viewers and framed the project as one that required careful boundaries around personal history.
Reception and Critical Legacy
The film earned a 70 percent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, where critics singled out Collins for carrying the emotional weight. Metacritic settled at 64, reflecting a split between praise for the lead performance and complaints about familiar storytelling beats and limited perspective.
Controversy and Representation Issues
At release the movie drew fire for centering a thin white protagonist and for showing graphic weight loss. Noxon maintained the intent was to open discussion rather than glamorize the illness, yet many readers and clinicians argued the narrow demographic reinforced an outdated stereotype of who develops anorexia.
Impact on Eating Disorder Awareness
Despite the criticism, To The Bone prompted global think pieces and family conversations in 2017. Noxon and Collins have said their goal was to reduce secrecy around the condition, and later treatment guides have referenced the film as one cultural touchpoint in ongoing public dialogue.
Cast and Crew Updates Since Release
Collins moved into lighter fare with the long-running series Emily in Paris. Noxon continued developing television and film projects that explore character-driven stories. Reeves kept a steady slate of high-profile action and indie work without revisiting the eating-disorder genre.
The original review captured a first-wave reaction heavy on disappointment. Later aggregate data and continued availability show the film settled into a more complicated legacy, one that still surfaces whenever conversations turn to how media handles mental health. Its presence on Netflix keeps the same questions alive for new audiences who may not have caught the 2017 rollout.
