Forgotten Netflix Mystery Thriller Is Worth Digging Up
The Weekend Away is short, to the point, and keeps you on edge enough throughout its length that you’re wondering where it’s going. Then, it wraps up well, so you’re not left dissatisfied. If you’re looking for a quick thrill on a Friday night on Netflix, this movie will get you there.
A Fun Watch, Don’t Expect Oscar-Worthiness
Look, The Weekend Away is not the best film I’ve ever seen, and I didn’t come away from it thinking, “Oh my gods, I have to tell everyone about this movie!” But I happened to pull it up after watching the trailer, and my husband and I both nodded our heads in approval when the credits rolled.
I had never seen Gossip Girl at the time, so I had no real concept of who Leighton Meester was, and the rest of the cast is pretty unknown, so I didn’t go in with any expectations. Which, I would say, is a mark in favor of this flick.
A Well Deserved Break
The Weekend Away is a tale of two women on a trip in a foreign country when trouble comes to visit. Leighton Meester plays Beth, a tired, burnt out new mom in a marriage that seems to have become pretty loveless.
When her best friend Kate (Christina Wolfe), calls to invite her for a holiday in Croatia, Beth figures “why not?” She’s currently based in London with her husband, and the flight is not that long. Her husband encourages her to take a much needed break, and off she goes.
Blacking Out
When Beth arrives for her weekend away, she finds Kate is wild trouble as always. The women go clubbing and have a great time. While in the club, two men flirt with the women, and Kate pushes Beth to have a one night stand, telling her she needs to “shake things up.”
The next thing the audience sees, Beth is waking up in the womens’ room alone, foggy about what happened the night before. Kate is gone. She searches high and low for her friend, calls the police, and lets her husband know what’s happening. But everyone treats the situation like some dumb American girl probably just took off with a hot guy. No big deal.
Things Get Serious
The situation escalates in The Weekend Away when Beth finds help from her taxi driver from the night before, Zain. He remembers thinking the men were trouble, and he goes in search of answers with Beth.
Finally, they catch up with the two men from the night before and discover they’re actually male escorts Kate had hired to show Beth a good time. To make matters worse, Zain reveals a darker truth—these men typically drug and rob the women they are paid to service.
I have to say, now that I have begun watching Gossip Girl, I really appreciate Leighton Meester in this role, and I’d like to see her do more. Her acting skills have a wider range than you might expect.
Stream It Now
GFR SCORE
The Weekend Away is worth watching, with plenty of surprises, a beautiful landscape to take in, and gorgeous people to admire. And the acting and directing isn’t bad either. Stream it on Netflix when you get a chance. If nothing else, it might remind you to stay out of trouble both at home and abroad.
