The must-see Netflix original The Adam Project provides a thrilling time-traveling plot while addressing the loss of a parent and the grieving process that comes with it. 

While trying to go to the year 2018 to find his presumably dead wife, Adult Adam, originally from 2050, accidentally crashes his aircraft in 2022 and meets his 12-year-old self.

Adult Adam, played by Ryan Reynolds, and 12-year-old Adam go on an action-filled adventure to save the future from the hands of Adam’s father’s acquaintance, Sorian.  

Adult Adam learns a few lessons from his 12-year-old self on how to properly grieve. The anger he felt towards his father for dying had caused the irritation and resentment that he took into his adulthood. His younger self, however, teaches him that there are better ways to cope. Twelve-year-old Adam says, “It’s easier to be mad than sad.”

The Adam Project beautifully conveys the struggles involved in grief. It accurately establishes how the loss of a parent affects a child’s behavior and mental health, as viewers see through 12-year-old Adam. 

The film provides a tearful ending. The theme is, as the movie quotes an old song, “Enjoy yourself. It’s later than you think.”