‘Everything Now’ Brings Awareness to While Accurately Depicting Eating Disorders

This piece was written during the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike. Without the labor of the actors currently on strike, the series being covered here wouldn’t exist.

There are several existing projects, such as To the Bone or Sharing the Secret, which depict the life of someone struggling with an eating disorder, but none of them are as accurate, vulnerable, and heartbreaking as Everything Now.

Created by Ripley Parker and starring Talk to Me‘s Sophie Wilde, Netflix’s Everything Now is an emotional story following the young Mia as she continues to fight her battle against anorexia and encounters the challenges of being a teenager — growing up whilst everyone around her is seemingly five steps ahead.

Everything Now joins a growing list of exceptional Netflix British teenage dramas that includes Heartstopper and Sex Education and blends the perfect amount of humor, coming of age, and reality into an eight-part series. It features aspects that are commonly seen and welcomed in new cinema — including open sexuality and the vulnerability that can come with mental disorders — without oversimplifying or sugarcoating. The realness and accuracy of the way eating disorders are represented through Mia is refreshing and heartwarming, and although it’s the main feature within and the central of the narrative, it does not bombard viewers into understanding it.

Everything Now highlights how troubling and confusing overcoming both eating disorders and mental health problems as a whole truly can be, showcasing pressure –– even if projected as a loving gesture –– as one of the biggest challenges through their journey. Mia’s constant struggles with eating by herself, her peers, or even with family constantly, yet subtly, demonstrate the lengthy journey she has ahead of her and that overcoming this disorder will be one that takes years to come.

Many projects within film and TV tend to oversimplify the recovery journey of someone struggling with mental or eating disorders (not to mention they usually end on a positive note); Everything Now however does the opposite, and most definitely benefits from this. The series proves to be an area of TV where everything and everyone is accepted, allowing audiences, especially of the younger generation, to reside in these characters and understand their own challenges and feelings.

Everything Now also features some lesser talked about or shown messages, including the importance of sex during young adulthood and some unfortunate circumstances that may arise after engaging in it. The idea of unprotected sex and the positives and negatives of it are explored within the later episodes of Everything Now, as well as the intimacy it involves. Presenting this aspect of sex is refreshing as it is rarely represented in projects that target the younger generation, offering something audiences can relate to or learn from.

Although Everything Now contains stereotypical aspects, including the atmosphere of the school, character traits, and how in the world these teenagers afford the clothes they are wearing, this doesn’t take away from the overall enjoyment of the series. The strong-hearted narrative drives the show forward one episode at a time, leaving no questions unanswered while setting up a second season to follow Mia on the long journey ahead of her.

This eight-part series features an unbelievably talented cast and, although for numerous individuals this may be classified as their first “big acting” role, each actor truly captures their character perfectly. The limited experience a lot of the cast has does not restrain their delivery or talent, and indeed, Everything Now should truly set some of these actors on a bright path for their future. Although at times it seems a bit ridiculous that these actors are supposed to be representing teenagers when some are obviously over 25, the talent from each makes it easier to look past their evident ages and just appreciate the tremendous work they do.

Wilde as Mia is the best choice for this broken-down teenager, her talent to truly replicate the affliction of this mental disorder is breathtaking. Red, White & Royal Blue star Stephen Fry makes his mark as one of the strongest characters of Everything Now and adds another phenomenal performance to his filmography. Fry’s portrayal of Dr. Neill is memorable, to say the least; he gives a heartfelt and charming portrayal as he engages with audiences in a way that allows them to sympathize with and adore his character.

Lauryn Ajufo (Boiling Point) as Becca, Harry Cadby (Red Rose) as Cam, Noah Thomas as Will, and Jessie Mae Alonzo (Newark, Newark) as Carli all give phenomenal performances. Each actor works to bring a riveting and convincing storyline, which helps make Everything Now so great. Besides the main narrative following Mia and her struggles, each character has their own side story, and although there is a lot to unfold, Everything Now delivers this seamlessly, making the story easy to follow.

Everything Now is a beautiful story filled with a wonderful cast. Although at times it follows some stereotypical aspects of teenage drama, this does not take away from the heartfelt and captivating story that lies within. This eight-episode series will capture hearts effortlessly, as audiences will be able to relate to the characters regardless of having experienced these traumas personally, which is a testament to both the writing and the acting.

Everything Now is undoubtedly one of the best projects to truthfully depict and showcase the real-life struggle of living with mental or eating disorders, and it seems like the story of the group isn’t quite over just yet. If you or someone you know is struggling with disordered eating or mental health, you aren’t alone. Please visit wannatalkaboutit.com for information on how to find support.

Everything Now is streaming exclusively on Netflix. Follow the Agents of Fandom socials to stay up to date with the latest entertainment news as well as TV and movie reviews.