365 Days Movie Review

The #1 streaming movie on Netflix, a Polish erotic drama -- 365 Days -- has just a 1-star rating out of a possible 10 from over 700 reviews on IMDB and a 0% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

People. Relax. It's just a pulp fiction romance novel made into a film. Look at it is a high-budget porn movie. Yes, it's bad. It's soft-core pornography. The sex scenes are decent, the lead characters are easy on the eyes, and that's the end of it.

Reviews are correct: predictable plot, cringe-worthy screenplay (some have suggested turning this movie into a drinking game), complete lack of meaningful character development, and morally horrific themes of kidnapping and violence. It's porn. It's supposed to be a horrible plot. No, this movie is not glorifying kidnapping and mafia violence. IT'S JUST A MOVIE.

The Plot of 365 Days, the Movie

29-year old Laura is an introverted executive in Poland who is in an unhappy relationship. Massimo Torricelli, a young Sicilian mafia boss whose father was recently shot right in front of him, kidnaps Laura and gives her 365 days to fall in love with her.

The extreme wealth and extravagant lifestyle of the mafia family play a part in seducing Laura. Massimo takes her on shopping sprees and the steamy sex scenes are mostly on the Torricelli yacht.

365 Days was directed by Barbara Bialowas and Tomasz Mandes and is based on the first novel of a trilogy written by Blanka Lipińska. The movie stars Anna-Maria Sieklucka as Laura Biel and Michele Morrone as Massimo Torricelli. The film was released in Poland on 7 February 2020 and is the #1 streaming movie on Netflix in June 2020.

Stockholm Syndrome

The majority of bad reviews cite that of course, Laura falls in love with Massimo. He bribes her with material wealth, shopping, wine, and food, he treats her very well as a captive, and in time, she does fall in love with him.

Massimo promises not to touch her until she initiates. He does touch her but does not rape her, so that part is inconsistent and problematic in the plot.

Stockholm syndrome occurs when the hostage develops feelings towards the captor. A psychological bond develops between the two, and the hostage starts to see the captor in all his or her humanity which fosters compassion and positive feelings. The hostage, even after release, then justifies the actions of the captor and claims that they have a connection or even a relationship.

Love or Lust?

No, it's not love. Italian passion is romanticized around the world. Alpha men are glorified in many romance novels by showing the inner core of love and loyalty to a woman who inspires the man to be a better person.

It's lust. Massimo is obsessed with Laura because he had a vision of her before he even met her. People doubted that she even existed. He is so obsessed with her that he has portraits of her hanging in his huge, Sicilian mansion.

You cannot love someone you do not know. When you are obsessed with someone you do not know, then that is lust. You are in love with the "idea" of the person, not the person. You can be enamored with their looks, but this is lust.

Love is all about appreciating another for who they are: their personality, their character qualities, their core values. Love is about sharing experiences and being vulnerable with each other. You can't do that unless you spend time together getting to know each other.

Physical intimacy can be an expression of love (as some call sex a form of "making love"), or it can be raw, physical sex as an expression of lust. Love includes emotional intimacy, as well as the physical.

Emotional intimacy is how we bond in a strong way that leads to love. Feeling safe enough to be vulnerable with a loved one is awesome. Emotional intimacy is about being honest with yourself, and in turn, being honest with your loved one. Brutally honest and 100% vulnerable.

BDSM Themes in Movies (and Books)

Like the popular Fifty Shades of Grey, this movie touches on the theme of BDSM, specifically dominance and submission. It does not represent a hard-core, traditional power exchange relationship. But it does introduce the relationship dynamic to the general public.

Again, it's just a movie. It's fiction. Allow for suspension of disbelief and enjoy the story for its entertainment value. It's not even an accurate representation of BDSM. It's just fantasy.

The 2002 movie, Secretary, with James Spader and Maggie Gyllenhaal is a more substantial look into the world of BDSM. Although, keep in mind that it's literally impossible to portray an entire subculture of sexual preferences and deviances in just one movie.

In conclusion, my recommendation is that you read the book as a romance novel. Of course, you can only read it in Polish, currently, so that may be a problem for English-speaking readers. It's a trilogy, so maybe the plot will thicken later. But, probably not.

If you decide to watch the movie, then lower your expectations for a cinematic experience and just watch it for erotic entertainment. Please comment below to let me know what you thought of the movie.

Watch the trailer for 365 Days the movie, here: