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Months after the release of the second film in the series, Netflix is back with another Blanka Lipińska novel adaptation with The Next 365 Days. The fabled movie from the 365 Days universe was released on August 19, 2022, and followed up on the story of Laura Biel (Anna-Maria Sieklucka) and Escudero "Massimo" (Michele Morrone), that is, if the plot of this film can be considered a story.
Netflix's latest attempt at completing the story of Massimo and Laura, a toxic love story filled with hateful moments, was perhaps the blandest of the three films released so far. It is surprising since the last two films weren't Oscar material and set the bar too low for any sequel.
The third film failing to even meet the standards of its prequel is a rarity. Still, The Next 365 Days had its share of meaningless steamy scenes and corny dialogues, something that is bound to attract viewership in large numbers.
The film is directed by Barbara Białowąs and Tomasz Mandes. Read on for a detailed review of The Next 365 Days.
The Next 365 Days review: A surprisingly hollow take on love and marriage
There could be a lot of confusion around the new 365 Days film, mainly regarding its purpose. If the film planned to be a string of steamy scenes with pretty people in it, loosely linked to each other by a faint plot that barely has any gravity, the film achieved what it wanted to. But for anyone willing to see anything more than softcore pornography, this is not the answer.
The previous films in the series gained ample attention from viewers all around. Perhaps this is one of the things wrong with cinema in the present time. It is not wrong to be a part of "escapist entertainment," but this film surpasses that with nearly no entertainment. In essence, the previous two films had some plot, even if it was painfully ignorant and naive.
This film majorly dealt with the aftermath of the other two, with Massimo and Laura trying to fight off a failing marriage and a pretty senseless love triangle, which though philosophically correct, made little sense for the plot. The plot could be summed up in one line, which is not a very good thing for any film.
Besides showing beauty on screen, The Next 365 Days is almost unconvincing in every other aspect. With actors resembling Greek gods, it is technically the only card (not even an ace) up the film's sleeve. And yes, it does not work too well either. If there's any redemption in this film, it is the ending.
By diverting away from the book's plot of Massimo being the "big bad" for Laura in the end, this film served a more realistic and more mature ending, with Massimo telling Laura that he knew about her affair and their failing relationship. With better direction and writing, this could have been the salvation for the entire trilogy. Instead, it seems the creators barely paid any attention to the sequence, which was the only thing that could have been good.
So, by the end of The Next 365 Days, there is barely any reason for anyone to watch the film. Of course, some will find it entertaining, and some will find it pointless. That is how art forms work, and perhaps this film depends heavily on the variable perspectives to succeed.
The Next 365 Days is now streaming on Netflix.
