Genre: Mystery, thriller, drama
If ever there was a movie that desperately needed a trigger warning before the opening credits, this is it.
Based on a book of the same name by Jessica Knoll, Luckiest Girl Alive, on Netflix, is a mystery thriller that tackles topics such as sexual assault, school shootings, victim blaming, and various other forms of trauma.
Mila Kunis stars as Tiffany ‘Ani’ Fanelli, a woman who seems to have the perfect life as a writer for a women’s magazine and engaged to a wealthy man.
Ani does her best to maintain the perfect life while struggling to cope with past trauma that has followed her for more than 10 years.
It becomes clear she will do everything in her power to maintain this perfect life and keep her past hidden.
We learn about the cause and extent of Ani’s trauma through flashbacks as she is forced to face her fears.
The film shows the school shooting and the sexual assault Ani endured in extremely uncomfortable and graphic detail, hence the need for a trigger warning.
It uses these incidents to spark very important conversations about how best to handle these situations.
Though the film is riddled with highly uncomfortable moments, the overall message of how deep trauma can go when it is not faced or dealt with is handled well. It puts a spotlight on the struggles girls are faced when reporting an incident of gender-based violence or assault.
Survivors anticipate not being believed by the authorities as well as enduring gaslighting by their perpetrator.
These harrowing experiences manifest as trauma years after the initial incident.
This movie will leave you feeling many emotions, but hopefully, it also inspires necessary conversations on these topics.
