When Netflix released ‘365 Days’ at the beginning of 2020 (becoming one of the most-watched movies during quarantine), we were left astounded by its plot: a mafia boss kidnaps a Polish girl and gives her 365 days to fall in love with him. The level of shock it caused may only have been surpassed by the realization of this second part (especially considering how the previous movie ended).
Sex and Musical Transitions
The movie begins with the wedding of Massimo and Laura, who, indeed, did not die in that tunnel as implied in the ending of the previous film, although they did lose a child (how they managed to survive is anyone’s guess). After that, they start a new life together, accompanied by Laura’s best friend Olga (who also finds herself a new Italian and mafia love interest, as if they are handed out as gifts).
The plot is almost non-existent: it takes more than the first 40 minutes of the film for any sort of conflict to arise, and it turns out to be a soap opera-worthy twist. The structure of the movie consists of two types of scenes: sex scenes and transitional scenes with background music while the characters look like they’re having a good time. This was already present in the previous film, but here it is taken to the nth degree.
Not only are these transitional scenes excessively long and serve no purpose (characters laughing at a party/on a yacht/in a car/on a beach, etc.), but they also do not differ much from the sex scenes (the supposed trademark of this franchise). These sex scenes become tedious due to their lack of context and their modesty, which is unexpected for an 18+ production.
To label this saga as “soft porn” is being too generous because, while no one expects a 100% explicit production, the visual acrobatics they have to perform to avoid showing frontal nudity sometimes become laughably awkward (the use of a dildo to substitute for these shots is more comical than anything else). These movies have shown that sex sells, but they have also demonstrated that it can be incredibly boring.
Will This Ever End?
Even if we make the monumental effort to ignore the movie as a cinematic work and evaluate it solely as a product aimed at satisfying a specific audience, it remains indefensible, especially considering the laughable attempt at whitewashing the main relationship by disguising it as a “consensual relationship.” They mention concepts like a “healthy relationship” and incorporate a supposed sisterhood subplot… come on! The audience that has made it to this sequel has already bought into the absurd premise, so throwing a stone and now hiding the hand is as absurd as it is implausible.
Perhaps the only positive aspect of this phenomenon is that it’s reassuring to know that there is enough widespread awareness for nobody to consider being kidnapped by a mafia boss as a romantic ideal.
‘365 Days: That Day’ is a worsened version of its predecessor: it lacks a plot, it’s repetitive, incoherent, and longer than a day without bread. It does have many unintentionally comedic scenes (special mention to the “sensual golf,” as ridiculous as it sounds), so if that’s what you’re looking for, you’ll laugh, although there are probably shorter options that might be more appealing. It is based on a trilogy, so we may still have to endure one more installment…
To learn more about Ratingperson, visit Ratingperson.