Back to 15 review: A fantasy rom-com saved from mediocrity through its delightful writing

3/5

Story:

Anita’s life did not turn out the way she wanted it to. At 30 years of age, she finds herself stuck and jaded, still on the verge of figuring out what she wants to do in life. At her seemingly ‘perfect’ elder sister’s wedding, Anita finds herself wishing she could go back in time and do things differently. Surprisingly, she finds her wish granted when she is transported back in time to her 15-year-old self.

Review:

For rom-com enthusiasts, Back to 15’s premise would definitely seem familiar. The marriage between romantic comedy and time travel fantasy has certainly worked well in the past, with Jennifer Garner’s 13 Going on 30, etching its name as a pop culture favourite. Of course, Back to 15 cannot hold its own if one compares it to the classic 2004 film, but the series certainly makes an appreciable effort to spin something new and refreshing out of the concept. But there are instances where it does find itself falling into pitfalls of cliches from time to time.

Anita (Camila Queiroz) is a 30-year-old woman, whose life seems to be going nowhere. Stuck at a job she's not passionate about and seeing everyone around her move on with their lives, she desperately wishes for a second chance at her life. She gets a chance to do just that when, through revisiting her old photoblog, she discovers a way to travel back to the past as her teenage self (portrayed by Maisa).

What happens next in Anita’s tale follows a tried and tested formula, the makers were clearly not too keen on tampering with. Teen Anita does everything her adult self dreamed of doing, starting with standing up to a group of bullies at her school and defending her friends. Realising that her future changes for the better due to her actions, Anita decides to take it upon herself to right some wrongs and improve the lives of her loved ones through her newfound gift.

The writing comes as the saving grace for the film, saving it from entering all too familiar territory time and again, by introducing some twists and turns at just the right moments. By making it difficult for the viewer to tell just exactly where the story is going, Back to 15 makes sure to keep viewers interested. Maisa and Queiroz also give a fine performance as the show’s chaotic heroine.

The show also manages to address some sensitive and important themes, even becoming poignant with how certain storylines unravelled over the course of the season. Although the show does seem to only offer a surface-level and unremarkable take on them, its efforts can be appreciated.

Granted, the story, although engaging, does drag at times and falters especially when it comes to the script. Perhaps, the Brazilian series’ script lost some of its charm in its translation, as some of the proclamations Anita makes try too hard to be idealistic, and end up sounding incredibly bland and cringey.

The series is also guilty of liberal use of cliches and done to death tropes that most rom-coms cannot seem to get away with. From the ‘perfect’ older sister who is weighed down by family expectations and just wants to let loose, the wise or the saintly father figure who always knows just the right thing to say, the characters are a predictable staple with very few tweaks made.

Verdict:

Although Back to 15 runs the risk of being too cliched at times, the Brazilian series has an interesting story and is backed by good performances that make it an engaging watch.

Back to 15 is available to stream on Netflix.