We all know sex sells.
Netflix has always offered subscribers some erotic films. They are rarely prominently promoted, but since they started sharing their #1 rankings, this can bubble up titles they might want kept on the virtual back alleys of their categories.
This film is sort of an underbelly of their offerings. It doesn’t go full bore XXX, of course, because that would — gasp — seek to ruin their mainstream appeal, but some of these movies flirt at the edges. Intentionally.
While reviewing Polish softcore porn films here isn’t even remotely commonplace — nor will it be — this film that currently sits at #1 at Netflix just has to be explored, at least as an example of just how Netflix is seemingly trying to throw every movie type and genre possible at the wall and see what sticks with their subscribers.
A winner in garnering interest? Absolutely, yes. But is this a good film? Can any softcore porn film be good? Some will cite Fifty Shades of Grey as the benchmark, but since I haven’t seen that, I have no frame of reference. Somehow, I doubt this film is nearly as classy as that film, if that is possible.
There are so many things wrong with this film. Within the first 15 minutes, the character Massimo has already forced a flight attendant on his private jet to perform oral sex on him. Another five minutes and Laura has been kidnapped, with Massimo informing her that he will have her parents killed if she tries to escape. When she does try, she runs into Massimo executing a former member of his crime family for luring young girls into sex work – a transparent attempt to make him seem redeemable. (Spoiler alert: he’s not.)
It took 365 Days, but I’m finally cancelling my Netflix subscription | The Independent
I’m no expert in reviewing these types of films, so my review and critique comes, pardon the first of may bad puns, with that disclaimer. Enough sexual innuendos, let’s unzip this one’s pants…
… you’ve been warned, SPOILERS ahead …
Kidnapping and rape aren’t stimulating
Most people, myself certainly included, find rape scenes disturbing. They’re difficult to watch, because who wants to see someone forced into something? The story focuses on a woman that is forced for 365 days to see if she can love a mafia boss. Forced oral sex for a stewardess on a plane, being chained up — and pain if she moves — forced watching a sex worker perform oral sex on her love to be? These are just a couple of scenes that demonstrate both mental and physical pain as something that’s supposed to make the viewer, I think, horny.
I didn’t find this to be stimulating. It made me uncomfortable for women in the presence of this mafia animal. And the more I watched, the more I was perplexed how she could have any remotely good feelings whatsoever for this depraved character.
My problem with softcore porn is often NOT showing the naughty bits
I’ve always felt softcore porn is lacking because it doesn’t show the body parts. If it did, then it would be rated XXX and be full-on porn. Softcore is all about the tease and while there is a market for that — a big market, obviously — I’d rather just watch a movie that goes all the way.
I’m at least semi-curious about the reason this is #1 is the prospect that younger people can watch it on Netflix …. but then what’s to stop those same youngsters from going to pornhub? Something is making this #1 in the U.S at Netflix, and it’s got to be a Tiger King like fascination only for raunchy sex scenes.
There is a place for this genre of films — all genres have artistic merit
I’m a strong supporter of art. I think there was an attempt here, however failed in execution, perhaps in the source material which I’m admitting having not read (and honestly very little interest in doing so), to make this less blunt and more stylistic.
The film glorifies and promotes sex and love as risky and avant garde propositions. I think, and could certainly be wrong, I see what it was trying to do, but think it just ends up being a bad softcore porn film instead of telling a meaningful, plausible erotic tale.
Don’t get me wrong, I could enjoy an erotic drama film. Otherwise I wouldn’t have reviewed this at all. This one just misses the mark for me, not because of the intentionally controversial subject matter, but because it simply doesn’t entertain the way it could.
Reviews by Others
Yes, I’m curious what others are saying about 365 Days / 365 DNI. Let’s see what’s out there …
Recommended
- Sorry to report that I didn’t find any movie reviews from bloggers I follow during my search that recommended watching this movie … and yet a ton of people are watching it on Netflix.
Not Recommended
- ASSHOLES WATCHING MOVIES / Sean: “…naturally, we shut off this movie at that point, much later than we should have. Here’s hoping I can save you from making a similar mistake.”
- Hannah Ward-Glenton: “The film follows toe-for-toe in the footsteps of Twilight and its adult equivalent 50 Shades of Grey, but 365 Days ramps up the sex in exchange for plot, leaving the bare bones without much flesh other than Marrone’s buttocks, which get ample screentime. “
- In Their Own League / Bianca “Bee” Garner (1/5): “This film is offensively bad, to the point where a cold shower is needed not to quell any rising urges from nearly two hours of this dreck, but to cleanse oneself all the way down to the soul.”
- Life of a Tiny Person: “…is basically 50 Shades of Grey, but worse. Go figure.”
- Lye / All About Films: “The issue was, it wasn’t explicit enough to be pornography and I couldn’t take it seriously enough for it to be a proper film. Instead, it is suspended in this strange limbo and fall into the same category as the 50 Shades franchise, a high budget pornography disguising as a low budget film.”
- Ready Steady Cut / Jonathon Wilson: “It’s bonkers, oversexualized, vaguely creepy, and tortuously overlong, unconcerned with its nonsensical narrative developments and focused entirely on the no-pants-dance being performed enthusiastically at every possible opportunity”
- Redam Reviews (5/10): “Should you watch it? Well, if you want. I personally did for the erotic scenes. I would rate this movie a good 5/10. I have to warn though, the ending of the movie might upset you. In my case, i didn’t actually know what upset me more, how the movie actually ended, or Laura’s wig.”
- rogerinorlando / Movie Nation (1/4): “Here’s a “romance” that sets women back 50 years and makes anybody (like me) take back every ugly thing we wrote about Dakota Johnson and that guy whose name I’ve already forgotten and those awful “Fifty Shades” movies.”
- Something About Purity: “Sorry to say but for me 365 days was overrated, the script writer gave us shallow content, unrealistic twists ,predictable plot and the storyline was weak . The sex might have made it better but still it takes more than shopping sprees and good sex for a woman to submit completely.”
- the awkward bong: “This has to be the sexiest and problematic movie on Netflix!”
- The Marketing Mama diaries: “…the lousiest movie I have seen during this enhanced community quarantine era”
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Happy movie watching!
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