Quartile rating: 6.5/10 · 1 rating
Bridget Jones navigates life as a widow and single mum with the help of her family, friends, and former lover, Daniel. Back to work and on the apps, she's pursued by a younger man and maybe – just maybe – her son's science teacher.
Mad About the Boy takes the franchise in a bittersweet new direction by killing off Mark Darcy, giving Renée Zellweger something more emotionally substantial to play than pure rom-com flailing. The plot follows the source novel reasonably faithfully, balancing grief with gentle comedy and romantic renewal, though it leans on familiar Bridget tropes and the younger-man storyline feels somewhat formulaic. Zellweger slides back into the role with ease and Leo Woodall brings charm, but the supporting cast is underused. Visually the film is competent but unremarkable TV-movie-adjacent work with little cinematographic ambition. As a sequel it carries franchise novelty penalties — the voice and structure are well-worn — though the widowhood pivot does provide a modest dose of freshness. The ending lands warmly without being truly surprising, a satisfying-enough close for loyal fans of the series.