As Netflix continues to mass produce original series, element detection and safeguards are in place to secure as many eyeballs as possible, so streamers can happily announce on Twitter that one of their movies broke a new viewership record (without providing any proof).
Regular consumers of these movies – as opposed to those purchased and distributed by Netflix – know that they are relatively short, often under two hours in length. The plots are simple and easy to follow. They are fast-paced so there’s something important happening at any moment to grab your attention. Hardly any experimentation with sound or cinematography. And in case you’re folding laundry or cleaning your bedroom while you watch, the characters will occasionally announce what they’re doing to get you up to speed, just like a standard TV series or a show. gold time. Most significantly, because they’re limited to a specific, profit-driven blueprint that involves rigorous testing, these movies often aren’t great.
That way, it’s not entirely surprising that The Weekend Away, Netflix’s newest original series, out on Thursday, is more of a chore than a work of art. The trailer for the new thriller – based on the novel of the same name by screenwriter Sarah Alderson – introduces a more complex, mysterious psychological thriller thanks to some ingenious editing. And although the film’s foreign setting and its themes, somewhat similar to the real-life story of Amanda Knox, may seem all too familiar, a crime story about female friendships, sex, drugs. and scattered memories seem like it could take a bit of fun and interesting turns.
And then there’s the fact that The Weekend Away is a rare star vehicle for Leighton Meesterwhose iconic role is Blair Waldorf on Gossip Girl mid to late, she never achieved the A-list acting career she deserved, although she has appeared in countless major projects in the years since. The new movie’s diary even evokes the 2011 horror film Roommates, in which she gives an off-topic yet charismatic performance as a mentally unstable college student who harbors a terrifying obsession with a female friend.
Unfortunately, while a new Netflix movie will certainly give Meester more visibility and spark some nostalgia, it doesn’t give her any support as a movie star. talented performer.
It’s easy to see how The Weekend Away, directed by Kim Farrant, acts as an intriguing beach to read, as we get a brief look at the characters’ personal lives and their complicated, unhealthy relationships with together. But the slow plot construction and central mystery don’t translate well into the screen adaptation, instead feeling eager to get through.
“While a new Netflix movie will certainly give Meester more visibility and create some nostalgia, it doesn’t earn her any favor as an iconic artist. acting talent.”
Meester plays Beth, a young mother who has an uneasy relationship with an English man named Rob (Luke Norris), who has a subtle lack of trust that we notice at the beginning of the film. . Beth flies from her home in London to Croatia to spend the weekend with her best friend, Kate (Christina Wolfe), who has just been divorced and lives in luxury on her ex’s money. When the two hang out at the club, Kate introduces Beth to a group of men and encourages her to go on a date night to potentially mend her current innocent relationship. After agreeing to mingle with the boys, Beth wakes up the next morning with some startling memories of the night before. Blood splattered on the floor and Kate was nowhere to be seen.
Beth quickly reported a missing person case to Croatian police, who displayed the level of indifference you would expect of a woman making coke and bringing men home from the club. From there, we learn some new developments and surprising revelations about Kate and Beth’s relationship and a few mysterious side characters. However, the film maintains a steady rhythm, the formula throughout doesn’t allow for any real suspense or emotion before Beth discovers something new. Likewise, we go to different locations and gather new information the way you move partially around the board game until you reach the inevitable end.
Regarding the pacing of the movie, one of the The Weekend AwayBeth’s most obvious issue is that Beth’s journey into solving Kate’s disappearance isn’t terribly difficult, despite the truly stressful and overwhelming situation she’s in. prohibited areas, and parsing through the proof. In addition, much of her mission is aided by a handsome Syrian taxi driver named Zain (Ziad Bakri), whose timely arrival and selfless contributions to Kate’s case make one stand out. keep rolling your eyes.
The film makes no attempt to combat stereotypes and cliches that emerge when a man of Zain’s ethnicity and immigration status plays the role of an unpaid driver and security guard for a random white woman. suddenly gets caught up in a serious legal drama that threatens his own livelihood. There’s a composite focus on his generosity and kindness, which ironically underlines the fact that he shouldn’t do Beth any favors at all. Furthermore, his characterization leans towards a fatigue that justifies the existence of an immigrant based on their morality and service. All in all, his use in this story sounds like a strange, problematic fantasy of the white woman that should have been left in drafts and ideally never written.
The most promising but unrealized aspect of The Weekend Away At its core are troubled friendships with little screen time or introspection. During a brief dinner conversation at the beginning of the film, we see that Kate and Beth’s interests and ways of getting through life are diametrically opposed. At once, Kate seems to admire and yearn for her friend’s boldness and defiance of traditional social norms while also finding her behavior downright obnoxious. In the end, the 90-minute film doesn’t have enough time to uncover their moves or dig into their history, which will undoubtedly heighten the psychological aspect of the film and make it more likely to be a crime. Beth becomes a legitimate question mark.
Summary, The Weekend Away is a waste of Meester’s time and talent, even though she’s really good with the material she puts out. Throughout my screening, I kept thinking how much better the movie could have been as Meester portrayed a more vivacious Kate and obviously had a chance to get to know her more than just a party girl. carpet. While this series is likely to end up on Netflix’s Top 10 list by the end of the week and possibly even become a trending topic online, it’s packed with far brighter stars.
