Ask Me Anything - A Movie Review

Use this journal to write about your feelings.

Ask Me Anything is a 2014 film. 17-year-old Katie wants to take a gap year before attending college, but only because she wants to stay in a relationship with a man twice her age. Throughout this year, Katie writes her confused thoughts and secrets in a blog as she does more foolish acts.

What’s in an ending? Ask Me Anything derives relatable coming-of-age themes, but it’s soured by the ending. I liked this movie up until a certain point. What could have been a good film, instead Ask Me Anything supplies toxic messages about relationships and lets mental health issues get out of hand.

Britt Robertson stars as Katie, a 17-year-old girl who is confused about her life and sleeps around with older men. Katie is a naive person but she’s energetic and curious to learn. Robertson’s performance is captivating and dictates tough emotions.

This is a character we can all relate to. She has several nuances about her personality. Katie acts a certain way for attention but she is still lost. I felt bad for her the more Katie spiraled. Katie needs more help but doesn’t have the right support.

Credits include Molly Hagan, Andy Buckley, Robert Patrick, and Christian Slater. Katie’s relationships with the other characters are important, showing us why she is the way she is. Katie’s mother is understanding and spreads helpful advice but is not attentive, letting her daughter drink and continue dating older men.

Ask Me Anything is a profound film that covers deep topics. It has relatable themes about teenage angst. In Allison Burnett’s direction, she crafts a compelling narrative that keeps viewers invested. This film deals with sensitive subject matter elicited powerfully from the cast. If only that applied to the rest of the film.

From what the trailer implied, it should focus on the benefits of writing and taking a gap year from college. I wish that I had taken a gap year before college. Writing is also an expressive form to help gather thoughts and ideas. Katie’s blog writing journey is not the center focus of the film. Had the film focused on blogging, it would have been more influential.

Blogging is an important tool as well as writing. Writing is a healthy form of expression. One of the most important parts of blogging is the audience you’re connecting with. Katie doesn’t receive the advice or comments she intends to, but often, you never know how you’ll connect with someone.

That’s not what the film is about. Katie sleeps with one older man after another, struggles with issues, and loses her father. The relationship affairs went on too long, and they’re not acceptable subject matter. This movie frustrated me a lot. Katie enlists the wrong people for help.

In my research following the film, Ask Me Anything is based on the book, 'Undiscovered Gyrl' written by Allison Burnett. I have to read to compare the last thirty minutes of the movie. In the film’s outcome, the writers make a weird decision and replace characters with different actors. I thought it was based on true events.

I commend Ask Me Anything for dictating a film about mental health, but it deserved a better resolution. Ask Me Anything is not a happy film. More themes include assault, mental health, and deceitful behavior. Indeed, we don’t all have positive outcomes, it is important to reach out if you need help.

Ask Me Anything is streaming on Tubi. I want to recommend this movie but I wanted a more satisfactory outcome.