Based on the book by Sarah Alderson, the film follows new mum Beth, who is pushed into an adventure by the freshly-divorced Kate. Their Friday night starts off fun - ordering a dozen oysters and the most expensive bottle of champagne on the menu, followed by clubbing with strangers. But this excitement dies down immediately when Beth wakes up to Kate’s disappearance and little recollection of the night.
Frustrated with the police’s unwillingness to help, Beth makes every attempt to uncover the truth herself as she seeks support from Zain (Ziad Bakri), a Syrian refugee driving his taxi around the beautiful streets of Split. Bakri delivers a splendid performance - he has such a sincere and charming screen presence that his character had to be my favourite part of the movie. Zain’s character is so well-written and I appreciated the tiny insight into his life and how the war affected him. I would have loved to see more of his backstory, but the film is only 90 minutes long and it’s about Beth’s experience, so I get it.
Beth’s own investigation takes a dark turn when Kate’s body is discovered, and she becomes a suspect. Her passport is taken, and Meester is quite convincing as a scared mother longing to go home to her baby.
With the short screen time Kate has before her death, she’s a terrible friend to Beth - pressing her to drink, despite her refusal, and suggesting that she have a one-night stand with a man at the club. Despite being uncomfortable and annoyed with Kate’s behaviour the night before, Beth is brave and committed to getting justice for her while clearing her name, and I admire the portrayal of friendship in the Netflix film.
The film also featured a strange Airbnb host Sebastian (Adrian Pezdirc), police officer Kovač (Iva Mihalić), a complex female character who is both tough and sympathetic, and some good self-defence advice.
After the body is found, the film is just too many plot twists, eventually obvious and exhausting.
That’s all the good stuff; let’s get to the list of disappointments now. After the body is found, the film is just too many plot twists, eventually obvious and exhausting. After a point, it just gets tedious instead of thrilling. There are several plot holes, and it’s frustrating as an audience to notice such apparent inconsistencies that reflect sloppy police work and poor writing. Some of it just made me wonder, did they really not consider all motives? How did the murderer get away with it at first? Was the investigation that bad? It’s just not possible, so the big twist at the end comes out too bland.
Meester and Bakri carry the film with their acting, with help from Mihalić- but all the other performances fall flat.
In short, The Weekend Away is worth a watch if you're a Blair Waldorf fan and are excited for Meester's return on screen - just keep your expectations low and try not to pick out the one too many plot holes.
Rating: 2/5
