Netflix has released the first trailer for To the Bone, a Netflix original film about a young girl battling an eating disorder. Written and directed by Marti Noxon, a veteran of TV with credits on everything from Buffy the Vampire Slayer to Mad Men to UnREAL, the film stars Lily Collins as a 20-year-old anorexic girl who is sent to a group home for youths, where she tries to overcome her disorder. While this premise could get trite and sappy really fast, this trailer actually promises a more nuanced, hopeful take on the material with some swell performances from folks like Keanu Reeves and Carrie Preston.

To the Bone actually first premiered at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, which is where Netflix picked it up. The film received a positive response there, especially for Collins’ performance, and indeed this trailer is pleasantly surprising. It’s also nice that it’ll be available on Netflix, where it can hopefully reach young people struggling with similar issues.

Check out the To the Bone trailer below. The film also stars Alex Sharp, Lili Taylor and Liana Liberato. To the Bone will be available on Netflix starting July 14th, where it will also debut in select Los Angeles theaters.

Here’s the official synopsis for To the Bone:

Ellen is an unruly, 20-year-old anorexic girl who spent the better part of her teenage years being shepherded through various recovery programs, only to find herself several pounds lighter every time. Determined to find a solution, her dysfunctional family agrees to send her to a group home for youths, which is led by a non-traditional doctor. Surprised by the unusual rules-and charmed by her fellow patients-Ellen has to discover for herself how to confront her addiction and attempt self-acceptance, in order to stand a chance against her demons.

 

Television veteran Marti Noxon brings her aptitude for storytelling to her remarkable debut feature, tackling the challenges of self-esteem with a refreshingly humorous-yet painstakingly honest-voice. Featuring a career-making performance by Lily Collins, and pitch-perfect supporting roles by Keanu Reeves, Carrie Preston, and Lili Taylor, To the Bone subverts expectations at every turn with its razor-sharp script, and its undiluted look at what young women face in living up to both society's expectations of beauty, and their own.

to-the-bone-keanu-reeves-lily-collins
Image via Netflix
to-the-bone-lily-collins
Image via Netflix
to-the-bone-image-lily-collins
Image via Netflix