A weekend in Croatia by the Adriatic, with red-topped roofs and ancient buildings, sounds about right for two young women enjoying their best-friend status after being separated for too long. It’s a set up for romance or at least a thriller, which Netflix currently offers with mixed results in director Kim Ferrant’s The Weekend Away.
Beth (Leighton Meester), a new mommy leaving hubby and baby in London, joins Kate (Christina Wolfe), a randy divorcee looking for an adventure the first night. Although this typical thriller set up promises much action and many twists, it delivers at an unusually slow pace that does allow the aud to think thematically.
As the women are drugged by handsome “escorts” and Kate goes missing, the plot uncovers multiple possible perps while questioning Beth’s accurate recollection and our own ability to be sharp in such disturbing circumstances away from home.
I’d have to go back to count the number of plot twists, which not only test our credibility index but also reinforce the film’s strongest motif—whom do you trust. As the formulaic plot unfolds, the twists serve to highlight for the police the number of possibilities buried in each person’s account, right down to Beth, who, if you look at the facts, could be an unlikely perp.
Local cab driver, Zain (Ziad Bakri), provides transportation for Beth as she pursues clues and the possibility of romance, though not at all a part of the plot’s main “stranger-in-a-strange-land” theme. In fact, beyond the idea that no one should be trusted is the xenophobic urge to stay home if this is what travel provides for relaxed vacations.
The Weekend Away does take you away to beautiful Croatia while challenging your notions of danger abroad if you have the courage to face the demons who await us when we leave our safety zone. You could do worse in the safety of your home than indulge your Netflix account and a snuggle or two.
The Weekend Away
Director: Kim Farrant (Strangerland)
Screenplay: Sarah Alderson from her novel,
Cast: Leighton Meester (Semper Fi), Christina Wolfe (Batwoman)
Run Time: 1h 29m
Rating: TV-14
John DeSando, a Los Angeles Press Club first-place winner for National Entertainment Journalism, hosts WCBE’s It’s Movie Time and co-hosts Cinema Classics, as well as podcasts Back Talk and Double Take. Contact him at JohnDeSando62@gmail.com
