Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy

“I’ve climbed a magical man tree.”

Heartfelt, hilarious and just the right amount of cheesy, Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy is a fantastic sequel that reminds us of why the world fell for Bridget all those years ago, but that also shows us her matured and navigating life’s griefs and reliefs in a tearjerker that also features plenty of gutbusting laughs to deliver a surprisingly satisfying romcom return. 

Discussion Points:

An absolutely pleasant surprise! The fourth film in a rom-com franchise should not be this good, but Bridget Jones is such an icon and Renée Zellweger continues to embody her in such a deeply grounded yet almost roguish way. Bridget is a character whom everyone can see a little bit of themselves in. And thankfully, the writers have allowed her to grow up and mature so that her journey doesn’t feel repetitive but rather reflective of the realities of life, love and loss. Whilst many may feel it cruel that after 3 films of trying to find a man, Bridget’s seemingly back at square one after being widowed. The reality is that her experience is far less of a reset and more of a continuation. Seeing Bridget navigate grief, parenthood and aging allows for a myriad of new comedic moments and heartfelt experiences. It’s an impressive tonal balance that helps the film to have copious amounts of rom-com cheese with a genuine emotional core. Leo Woodall and Chiwetel Ejiofor are great new interests for Bridget and they sit comfortably within the wider beloved returning ensemble, with a wonderfully utilised Hugh Grant as the ever lewd yet always charming Daniel Cleaver, who’s also got a touch more maturity to him, but not too much to spoil the fun. Overall, Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy is a great return to the beloved romcom franchise that’s mature in its handling of grief and loss, but still flirty and fun in its romantic comedic escapades.