BRIDGET JONES: MAD ABOUT THE BOY - Mark Reviews Movies

Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy, Universal Pictures

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Review by Mark Dujsik | February 13, 2025

Bridget Jones (Renée Zellweger) has had her ups and downs—so many downs, in fact, that it has sometimes been a genuine surprise to watch her get back up again. The start of Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy sees the character, not at her lowest point, but surely four years after what must have been one of the lowest points of her life—if not the lowest.

She's heading to a dinner party with friends, and as so often been the case on screen and—in the years that have passed since the last movie—unseen to us, Mark Darcy (Colin Firth) is waiting for her. The two go up to the door of the house where the party is being held, but when it opens, only Bridget is standing there now. Her beloved Mark, the man she finally married after so much commotion and so many misadventures, died exactly four years to the date. Our Bridget is a widow, raising her and Mark's two children on her own, while still trying to figure out what life for her can and should be at this point.

This fourth film in the series, based on the third novel in co-screenwriter Helen Fielding's own book series, probably doesn't sound much fun based on that description of the setup, but we know Bridget too well at this point, after first meeting her and her tell-all diary about 24 years ago. She keeps going no matter what, whether that be some love triangle or, when the movies were at their lowest, a most unfortunate stay in a Thai prison. There's something different about Bridget now, of course, having found and lost the love of her life, and the screenplay, also co-written by Dan Mazer and Abi Morgan, recognizes that unavoidable fact.

Sure, Bridget is still a bit awkward, clumsy, uncomfortable in her own skin, and insecure about every facet of her life, but she also has been through a lot in those many years since her initial introduction. This Bridget is older and wiser, even if she focuses on the former part and doesn't necessarily believe the latter, and in big and subtle ways, this sequel reflects those changes in the character.

To be sure, it's still about Bridget looking for love or, at least, some kind of connection that might make her feel a little less lonely, a bit more sure of herself, and that there's still something out there in the world for her. The initial gimmick here, after Bridget literally turns the page on her last diary entry announcing Mark's death, is that one of her friends starts a dating app profile for her.

It's a scary but enticing prospect for Bridget, but it's also kind of meaningless. Bridget has always had a way of getting into romantic entanglements and plenty of trouble before such technology was a thing, and she manages to get caught up in some without an app's aid again.

She meets two men—yet again—this time around. They're Roxster (Leo Woodall), a man more than two decades her junior, and Mr. Wallaker (Chiwetel Ejiofor), her son's new science teacher. Both of them see her and her two kids, Billy (Casper Knopf) and Mabel (Mila Jankovic), stuck in a tree in the park, and while the teacher sort of believes Bridget when she says they're fine, the younger guy helps all of them down to the ground. She and Roxster start texting each other, which becomes a one-night-stand that turns out to be more than that.

It's mostly the usual stuff we're used to, not only in these movies, but also in romantic comedies in general. What's different about it all in this installment, though, is that Bridget really does seem to get things together without making a fool of herself—well, not too much of one, at least.

The film, directed by Michael Morris, isn't simply about the romance or the situational comedy, because Bridget has too much else to concern herself with than such frivolities. She wants a career again, so she returns to producing television. She knows her kids need some help, so she hires a nanny (played by Nico Parker), whom Bridget is almost reflexively envious of for her ability to stay so organized and on top of things.

Bridget knows she needs plenty of help, too, so she reaches out to the people she trusts, including her gynecologist Dr. Rawlings (Emma Thompson), whose willingness to make time for Bridget says more the doc than her rough attitude, and the now not-at-all-dead Daniel Cleaver (Hugh Grant). The previous movie ended with the revelation that Daniel had survived a plane crash, and considering the potential conflict his return could have caused with a quick turnaround, it might be a very good thing it took nine years for this sequel to be released. Even Daniel, as obsessed with younger women and being perpetually naughty as he is, seems to know what he's talking about these days.

She probably wouldn't believe it if anyone told her, but Bridget is well-rounded and grounded—not letting the romance with the young guy or the budding bond with the teacher become all-encompassing, doing her job well without too many complications or uncomfortable situations, realizing how important she is to her kids and they are to her. After more than two decades and three movies, we've been waiting for, wanting, and hoping for that for Bridget, and Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy gives us a pleasant payoff and her, presumably, a well-deserved send-off.

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