I love a good murder mystery. So, when I saw Netflix was coming out with a film adaptation of Sarah Alderson’s novel, The Weekend Away, excited is putting it lightly. The film stars Leighton Meester (Gossip Girl and Single Parents) as Beth and Christina Wolfe (Fury) as Kate. Two best-friends catching up on a girls’ weekend in Croatia, or is it?
THE WEEKEND AWAY
The Weekend Away starts as a girls’ weekend getting new mother Beth out of the house and away with her whirlwind bestie, Katie. The two head out for a night on the town when things take a dark turn. Beth wakes up the next day to her friend missing, and blood in the apartment. After speaking to the police and getting nowhere, Beth, along with their taxi driver Zane, try to figure out what happened on their own.
In a sad twist (and as you see in the trailer), we find out Kate is dead and possibly murdered. Beth is the one accused since people saw them have a drunken fight the night before. Beth also keeps remembering someone screaming BITCH! But, was it her or someone else?
I found myself constantly trying to guess the ending the whole way through. And let me tell you…I was always WRONG! Sarah Alderson’s adaptation of her book stays true to the mystery while changing one major thing, the ending! While Alderson says the ending of her book is more of a cliffhanger, the movie comes full circle giving the viewer the satisfying ending her book readers may have wanted.
FANTASTIC CASTING
From the moment Beth is in the taxi cab to the hotel, through meeting every character along with the world-building and the ominous feel of it all engulfs you. Everyone seems suspicious, and the majority of the supporting cast gives off a creepy and uncomfortable vibe.
I’ve been a fan of Leighton Meesters since Gossip Girl and have followed her career since. Her performance in Single Parents is fantastic and hilarious, but her role in The Weekend Away is some of her best work I’ve seen to date. She does her job in such a way that I forget I’m watching a movie and that I’m not a fly on the wall watching these events unfold.
Christina Wolfe as Kate is the best friend we all need (and don’t). She is incredibly charming, while also hiding a few secrets of her own adding to the mystery and wtf is going on moments of the film.
So if you’re looking for a fun, wildly entertaining movie to check out this weekend, make sure to check out The Weekend Away on Netflix!
