‘Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy’ Review: The Best Sequel of the Bunch Deserves More Than a Streaming Release

For devoted fans of Bridget Jones — the daffy dame at the center of both a popular series of novels and their attendant film adaptations — sequel mileage very much varies. While the first film in the series, Sharon Maguire’s 2001 gem “Bridget Jones’s Diary,” ably transplanted author Helen Fielding’s winsome, wacky heroine to the big screen, subsequent follow-ups have floundered.

That’s not to say they’ve been all bad, and no one doubts that it’s difficult to keep a series so rooted in romance (and the possibility of one perfect match for all our silly singletons) afloat without goofy mix-ups and stupid break-ups and all manner of misdirection and bad communication. To borrow a phrase from another classic rom-com, “When you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible.” That probably doesn’t include two (two!) sequels that rely on breaking up that soulmate relationship and mending it again, and then also again.

In short, we can only worry about “will they won’t they” for so long, even if over the course of 24 years, Bridge (the perpetually perfectly cast Renée Zellweger) and her feature films have tried their damndest to make us wonder and worry anew. Not every attempt has lived up to the first film’s heart and humor.

It’s easy to feel positively about first sequel “The Edge of Reason” if one tosses out the entirely unreasonable subplot that basically sees Bridget temporarily living her own version of “Brokedown Palace” (with, it must be noted, a dizzying assortment of moldy bras and Madonna jams). And what of second sequel “Bridget Jones’s Baby”? It sure seems like, more than 15 years into this whole thing, Bridget would have matured a bit more beyond “oops, who is the father of my child”? She’s better than all of that, even if her films haven’t always been.

Enter: “Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy.” Based on Fielding’s third Bridget Jones book (first published in 2013), the Michael Morris-directed feature is the best sequel yet, likely because it does away with all that push-pull (to tragic ends, sadly) that framed the romance between Bridget and Mark Darcy (Colin Firth). This entry finds Bridget at a (believable) crossroads, and while she’s grown up, learned from her mistakes, and evolved, she’s also still wonderfully Bridget.

That alone is worth celebrating, preferably en masse with the rest of the Bridget faithful, which makes the choice to not release the film in U.S. theaters so terribly painful (the rest of the world will get it in theaters). Bridget and Morris’ film deserve to be seen on the big screen, all the better with a packed house of devoted fans and some snuck-in booze. Alas, “Mad About the Boy” can at least inspire some home-viewing parties (at least the snacks will be cheaper).

‘Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy‘Universal Pictures

Zellweger and Morris (plus writers Fielding, Dan Mazer, and Abi Morgan) haven’t attempted to obscure the film’s plotline, and thus we hope and assume what we’re about to share isn’t a shock. Mark Darcy is dead. In fact, he’s been dead for four years when the film opens, and Bridget is taking it about as well as can be expected. Again, this Bridget has matured, so she’s not entirely at loose ends: the kids seem happy (even if Billy, basically a mini Mark, is wrestling with some obvious pain, and little Mabel is too busy being a mini Bridget to face that she might not even remember her dad), financial concerns seem to be at a minimum, and all of Bridget’s besties are still in the picture.

Sure, Bridget might trundle the kiddos off to their school while still in pajamas, but that’s just her. Emotionally, well, it’s hard to say. An apparent (an understandable) desire to handle Mark’s passing with the utmost of respect and care can lead to odd tonal shifts — Morris relies on a heartbreaking bit of filmmaking that sees Firth appear during important scenes, particularly as they apply to the kids, before fading off — and stymies the film in its opening moments. But it inspires a key question: how the hell is Bridget going to move on?

A multi-pronged plan takes root, mostly involving Bridget using dating apps (bad idea, if hilarious) and returning to the workforce as a top TV producer (good idea, and the best evidence yet of Bridget’s growth). Callbacks reign supreme, and all of the classic supporting stars are accounted for: not just Daniel Cleaver (Hugh Grant) and Shazzer (Sally Phillips, with an all-timer of a new job), but also Jude (Shirley Henderson) and Tom (James Callis), Bridget’s parents (Jim Broadbent and Gemma Jones), work bestie Miranda (Sarah Solemani), and even Emma Thompson as Bridget’s zippy gynecologist. The line between comforting and well-tread is thin, but Morris and company never cross it.

What else could Bridget possibly need? Apart from more appearances by Grant, who sat out the third film and who we are thrilled to see here, the answer is obvious: more men. A tree-based meet-cute pulls her into the orbit of a much-younger cutie played by “One Day” and “White Lotus” breakout Leo Woodall, while the rule-loving sides of Bridget also spark to teacher Scott Wallaker (Chiwetel Ejiofor, also deserving of significantly more screen time). Ding dong.

‘Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy’Universal Pictures

Woodall in particular does strong work in a film filled with delightful performances: as Roxster, he needs to bridge the gap between toy-boy likely-fuckwit and actually charming suitor. He also needs to, and this really is key, make the nickname Roxster (pronounced “Rockstar”) not sound so fucking annoying. All that and more! It’s a tough ask to even attempt to match Firth’s Mark Darcy charm, but Woodall is up to the task (he even gets a very sexy take on Firth’s most iconic “Pride & Prejudice” scene). Mostly, we get why Bridget goes for him, and that speaks to the true delight of the film: finally, a sequel where we understand our heroine just as perfectly as we did the first go-round.

Zellweger, as ever, is sterling in the role. There is no Bridget Jones without Renée Zellweger, and the force of her performance and obvious admiration for the role do plenty to skate over any off-kilter beats (a few odd subplots, Bridget’s total lack of concern around money, etc.) with effervescence and pluck. Loving Bridget means wanting to see her succeed. With “Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy,” she does that and more.

Grade: B+

“Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy” will be released in theaters internationally by Universal Pictures and will stream exclusively on Peacock in the U.S. starting on Thursday, February 13.

Want to stay up to date on IndieWire’s film reviews and critical thoughts? Subscribe here to our newly launched newsletter, In Review by David Ehrlich, in which our Chief Film Critic and Head Reviews Editor rounds up the best new reviews and streaming picks along with some exclusive musings — all only available to subscribers.