This had a lot of plot elements; each of which could have been more fully explored to make a great film, but all were used at once so the plot was jumbled and not believable. For example the idea of the women deceiving their husbands and then one of them suspected of murder but not able to prove her innocence because of the previously fabricated events would be a good film. As would one of the husbands secretly monitoring his wife's every move to create the perfect murder. Unfortunately the film did not exploit any of these ideas in depth, but glossed over them in order to introduce more, unnecessary twists. Unfortunately the casual approach to the investigation by the police and the idea that Bodil Backer was supposed to be a judge were almost laughable.
61 Reviews
Plot Went a Bit South
chopperDavo18 May 2023
Warning: Spoilers
I quite liked the first few opening scenes of this film. In fact the whole thing was quite beautifully shot.
But it was let down by the plot. Or at, least some aspects of it.
At a very climactic/important moment, we see that trope we're now seeing everywhere, where a slim 120 pound woman takes on a solid 200+ pound guy and wins handily.
There were also a few times where the police response was shown to be superficial e.g. "We looked at his laptop and can see what transpired here, so there'll be no further investigation into you" Or "Can you give this passport back to your sister next time you see her".
But the real kicker for me was 1) They were allowed to stay in a house where a murder was conducted, just not go downstairs - which raises the question as to how did they come and go? And 2) The main protagonist is soundly sleeping upstairs from where her friend was murdered a day ago - AND the perpetrators haven't been caught! Now I can't imagine me saying to my girlfriend "Yeah your friend was brutally murdered just downstairs, but nighty night, have a good sleep, the killers probably won't come back" and her saying "Oh I guess you're right, I'm whacked, nigh night" and proceeding to fall into a deep restful sleep.
But it was let down by the plot. Or at, least some aspects of it.
At a very climactic/important moment, we see that trope we're now seeing everywhere, where a slim 120 pound woman takes on a solid 200+ pound guy and wins handily.
There were also a few times where the police response was shown to be superficial e.g. "We looked at his laptop and can see what transpired here, so there'll be no further investigation into you" Or "Can you give this passport back to your sister next time you see her".
But the real kicker for me was 1) They were allowed to stay in a house where a murder was conducted, just not go downstairs - which raises the question as to how did they come and go? And 2) The main protagonist is soundly sleeping upstairs from where her friend was murdered a day ago - AND the perpetrators haven't been caught! Now I can't imagine me saying to my girlfriend "Yeah your friend was brutally murdered just downstairs, but nighty night, have a good sleep, the killers probably won't come back" and her saying "Oh I guess you're right, I'm whacked, nigh night" and proceeding to fall into a deep restful sleep.
Great Premise, Flawed Execution, Strangely Passive Characters
lee-966965 August 2023
Faithfully Yours follows two middle-aged friends, Bodil (Bracha van Doesburgh) and Isabel (Elise Schaap) who use each other as alibis to sneak off and enjoy extramarital affairs.
The film opens with Bodil and Isabel meeting up at a train station in the Netherlands to go on a weekend trip to Ostend, a Belgian seaside resort. They've agreed to use each other as alibis so that their husbands won't find out about their cheating. Isabel's hubby, a depressed, forlorn, very needy writer, has placed a tracker on her phone, so there's a lot of scheming to make sure he does not know where she's really going.
As soon as they hit town they go their separate ways. Bodil, a family court judge and mom, hooks up with a young, handsome professor from the local university who is an expert on - irony of ironies - lying. Clearly she should know better.
Fortyish Isabel puts on her glitter makeup goes to a sleazy nightclub where she does drugs, hands over a huge cash payment to an unidentified man, and makes out with a young woman. Later that night, Isabel goes missing.
And that's when the planning and web of lies unravels. The next day Bodil discovers the scene of a violent, bloody struggle at her beach house. She reluctantly calls the police and then lies about pretty much everything else.
But the Belgian police are not exactly Lieutenant Colombos. The two women detectives take a quite passive approach to their sleuthing. The attitude seems to be, "Yeah, sure that makes sense." The biggest admonition is not to leave Belgium.
In fact pretty much every character in this movie is a 1 on the 1 to 10 passive to aggressive scale. No one seems especially troubled by any startling reveal, or strange behavior. Bodil's hubby: Oh, you've had 10 or 12 lovers at the beach house? I'm down with that. I enjoy the videos. Just don't drift too far away from me. A huge Irish Wolfhound runs up to an elderly man almost knocking him over and puts his bloody paws all over the guy's white suit? Bodil just looks slightly quizzical and goes on her way. Isabel's husband tries to commit suicide by taking a barrel full of pills and is near death? Bodil's husband: let's not bother with emergency services. He'll be OK. Bodil discovers there has been a violent crime, maybe murder / hit job at her home? Oh, I'll just spend another few days here, alone. None of the characters are likable, several are detestable.
Maybe this passivity and blind acceptance of the outrageous is a Dutch / Belgian thing, but American audiences will find it hard to fathom. And in this era of culture wars, the disdain shown to men will be especially jarring. The two male leads are ineffectual beta-males in the extreme. The five women, in their way, are the only competent ones.
Add to that a number of implausibilities - e.g., a child having the password to his dad's computer which is loaded with disturbing material - and plot holes, then mix with a kettle full of red herrings, and you get a sadly disappointing movie.
As for the ending, well, like the rest of the film, pretty far fetched. It's more or less wrapped up in a two minute conversation / exposition scene outside the beach house and then a ludicrous airport scene. I give it points for the premise, but negative points for execution. Hitchcock it is not.
The film opens with Bodil and Isabel meeting up at a train station in the Netherlands to go on a weekend trip to Ostend, a Belgian seaside resort. They've agreed to use each other as alibis so that their husbands won't find out about their cheating. Isabel's hubby, a depressed, forlorn, very needy writer, has placed a tracker on her phone, so there's a lot of scheming to make sure he does not know where she's really going.
As soon as they hit town they go their separate ways. Bodil, a family court judge and mom, hooks up with a young, handsome professor from the local university who is an expert on - irony of ironies - lying. Clearly she should know better.
Fortyish Isabel puts on her glitter makeup goes to a sleazy nightclub where she does drugs, hands over a huge cash payment to an unidentified man, and makes out with a young woman. Later that night, Isabel goes missing.
And that's when the planning and web of lies unravels. The next day Bodil discovers the scene of a violent, bloody struggle at her beach house. She reluctantly calls the police and then lies about pretty much everything else.
But the Belgian police are not exactly Lieutenant Colombos. The two women detectives take a quite passive approach to their sleuthing. The attitude seems to be, "Yeah, sure that makes sense." The biggest admonition is not to leave Belgium.
In fact pretty much every character in this movie is a 1 on the 1 to 10 passive to aggressive scale. No one seems especially troubled by any startling reveal, or strange behavior. Bodil's hubby: Oh, you've had 10 or 12 lovers at the beach house? I'm down with that. I enjoy the videos. Just don't drift too far away from me. A huge Irish Wolfhound runs up to an elderly man almost knocking him over and puts his bloody paws all over the guy's white suit? Bodil just looks slightly quizzical and goes on her way. Isabel's husband tries to commit suicide by taking a barrel full of pills and is near death? Bodil's husband: let's not bother with emergency services. He'll be OK. Bodil discovers there has been a violent crime, maybe murder / hit job at her home? Oh, I'll just spend another few days here, alone. None of the characters are likable, several are detestable.
Maybe this passivity and blind acceptance of the outrageous is a Dutch / Belgian thing, but American audiences will find it hard to fathom. And in this era of culture wars, the disdain shown to men will be especially jarring. The two male leads are ineffectual beta-males in the extreme. The five women, in their way, are the only competent ones.
Add to that a number of implausibilities - e.g., a child having the password to his dad's computer which is loaded with disturbing material - and plot holes, then mix with a kettle full of red herrings, and you get a sadly disappointing movie.
As for the ending, well, like the rest of the film, pretty far fetched. It's more or less wrapped up in a two minute conversation / exposition scene outside the beach house and then a ludicrous airport scene. I give it points for the premise, but negative points for execution. Hitchcock it is not.
Switch no bait
kosmasp19 May 2023
Wrong place, wrong time - or right place, right time. No pun intended intended for sure. If you are into thrillers, with a touch of ... erotic pleasure to boost, I think you came to the right place (get your mind out of there, I like how think though).
Not sure how Netflix is doing their numbers but apparently this is quite popular. I reckon people do like a bit of a guessing game. The story has enough twists and sizzle to keep you occupied and interested. Acting wise it holds up to, just don't expect this to be an Oscar worthy drama and you are good to go - I mean guess. Decently shot this will come down to what you like or not (and you know how I mean that - thriller style that is of course)
Not sure how Netflix is doing their numbers but apparently this is quite popular. I reckon people do like a bit of a guessing game. The story has enough twists and sizzle to keep you occupied and interested. Acting wise it holds up to, just don't expect this to be an Oscar worthy drama and you are good to go - I mean guess. Decently shot this will come down to what you like or not (and you know how I mean that - thriller style that is of course)
Reasonable way to spend an evening
Clementine4419 May 2023
The premise is interesting - two women using each other as an alibi and then things go wrong. There are a few unreasonable parts of the movie which don't make sense, as other reviewers have said. And yes, I agree, the ending was ridiculous. The acting is not good.
However, I was genuinely entertained. I kept trying to figure out what was happening and who was the bad guy. The movie gets points for that - it's not obvious who the bad guy is, and really, depending on how you define "bad guy," it really gets iffy.
Speaking of which, the characters aren't likable. None of them. So really, the big positives here are story and mystery. And that part was done very well.
However, I was genuinely entertained. I kept trying to figure out what was happening and who was the bad guy. The movie gets points for that - it's not obvious who the bad guy is, and really, depending on how you define "bad guy," it really gets iffy.
Speaking of which, the characters aren't likable. None of them. So really, the big positives here are story and mystery. And that part was done very well.
Don't read this of you don't want the ending to be spoiled.
chick_flick20 May 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Don't read this of you don't want the ending to be spoiled.
So I could it see it coming miles away that Isabel had not actually been murdered and that the sister was somehow involved, due to the fact that the body was missing and the sister was not even a bit upset that the person she loved and was planning to run away with, had just died. I kept watching through the twists amd turns just to see how it would unfold. I found the movie mediocre, until the ending. In what world would someone just hug the friend who faked their own death, almost got you arrested and put you in a situation where you had to kill her husband? She didn't have to have a complete meltdown about it, but she just let's it all slide and let's them leave, without being a tiny bit angry about all she had to endure?? Movies don't have to be realistic, but this was just preposterous.
So I could it see it coming miles away that Isabel had not actually been murdered and that the sister was somehow involved, due to the fact that the body was missing and the sister was not even a bit upset that the person she loved and was planning to run away with, had just died. I kept watching through the twists amd turns just to see how it would unfold. I found the movie mediocre, until the ending. In what world would someone just hug the friend who faked their own death, almost got you arrested and put you in a situation where you had to kill her husband? She didn't have to have a complete meltdown about it, but she just let's it all slide and let's them leave, without being a tiny bit angry about all she had to endure?? Movies don't have to be realistic, but this was just preposterous.
Here we go again, more empowerment stuff.
always-see-more26 January 2024
Warning: Spoilers
This movie had the strangest bookends. It opens with a family court judge, one who we soon see as much less than "her honor-able", in a court scene removing custody of children from some father. Toward the end, she is calmly talking to her own children about seeing their father, the one, in fact, one she tazers, ties up, and almost tried to pin attempted murder on.
In between though, this was twisty, like "Fatal Attraction", and there was plenty of stuff here as we see her chronic and multiple infidelities, her chronic lying, and the fact that she murders the distraught husband (in self-defense) of a friend after he discovers she has been enabling and sharing the same cheating lifestyle alongside his wife. In the final scene, where everyone, it seems, has a life plan going forward, she happily takes a phone call from her latest lover, and with a satisfied grin that says she knows she has it all her way, presumably to continue her life of outside love interests after the turmoil we had witnessed for the past hour, or so.
We get all of the adventure above, courtesy of her husband whose enjoyment of the whole cuckold thing keeps it going as chaotic plot twists, plot holes, and some very rushed plot development ensures. Unlike the movie "Deep Water", this cuck husband is not a murderer.
As with the recent movie "Windfall" and the series "Wilderness", these women also manage to make crime pay and, in doing so, to help extricate themselves from or to enable their life situations forward. And like the movie "Fair Play" where the female protagonist who was more successful and promoted to a position above her troubled partner, destroys him emotionally through her lack of communication and honesty as well as becoming one of (and just as bad as) the misogynistic boys-club executives (whom obviously had no family lives of their own) to which she had been promoted, they all come out on top.
Overall, good acting for what it was and albeit a very tiresome genre, all watchable, though, especially if one enjoys watching failing males set up and/or taken down by the always more intelligent, cunning, and sexually attractive female persona. Male egos beware.
In between though, this was twisty, like "Fatal Attraction", and there was plenty of stuff here as we see her chronic and multiple infidelities, her chronic lying, and the fact that she murders the distraught husband (in self-defense) of a friend after he discovers she has been enabling and sharing the same cheating lifestyle alongside his wife. In the final scene, where everyone, it seems, has a life plan going forward, she happily takes a phone call from her latest lover, and with a satisfied grin that says she knows she has it all her way, presumably to continue her life of outside love interests after the turmoil we had witnessed for the past hour, or so.
We get all of the adventure above, courtesy of her husband whose enjoyment of the whole cuckold thing keeps it going as chaotic plot twists, plot holes, and some very rushed plot development ensures. Unlike the movie "Deep Water", this cuck husband is not a murderer.
As with the recent movie "Windfall" and the series "Wilderness", these women also manage to make crime pay and, in doing so, to help extricate themselves from or to enable their life situations forward. And like the movie "Fair Play" where the female protagonist who was more successful and promoted to a position above her troubled partner, destroys him emotionally through her lack of communication and honesty as well as becoming one of (and just as bad as) the misogynistic boys-club executives (whom obviously had no family lives of their own) to which she had been promoted, they all come out on top.
Overall, good acting for what it was and albeit a very tiresome genre, all watchable, though, especially if one enjoys watching failing males set up and/or taken down by the always more intelligent, cunning, and sexually attractive female persona. Male egos beware.
Good movie with weak ending
ruth-5815119 May 2023
Warning: Spoilers
This movie is interesting and kept me engaged and guessing until the end with numerous twists and turns. However the ending was lame and felt like the film makers were in a hurry to wrap it all up and call it done.
There were several times when the viewer has to suspend belief as mentioned by previous reviews. However, the story and characters are entertaining enough that that didn't bother me or take away from my enjoyment of the movie.
However, when Isy confesses her lie and Bo blithely forgives her without even blinking...that was too much for me. Bo had just killed a man! But all is forgiven and off we go. Ugh. If I can just block that part out, the movie is a solid 7.
There were several times when the viewer has to suspend belief as mentioned by previous reviews. However, the story and characters are entertaining enough that that didn't bother me or take away from my enjoyment of the movie.
However, when Isy confesses her lie and Bo blithely forgives her without even blinking...that was too much for me. Bo had just killed a man! But all is forgiven and off we go. Ugh. If I can just block that part out, the movie is a solid 7.
Dumb and dumber
Phantasma_the_Black20 May 2023
And I don't mean just the two of the main characters, but literally everyone - from all of the characters to writers and director.
No one acts in their best interest, and it can't even be explained away as panic, as everyone is calm, just irrational.
For instance, a character lies to the police about something that the police wouldn't really care about, but - for NO reason whatsoever - makes sure to tell the truth to another character who would be upset about it.
Another character pulls an extremely risky and unnecessary stunt in a situation that could have been handled in thousand different ways and each one of them would've made more sense.
Oh, and when it comes to police, nothing about their investigation makes any sense. It feels like the writers asked a six-year-old what they imagine a police investigation looks like, and they actually put it that way in a script.
However, my "favorite" parts were two lame red herrings; one of which is explained away in a pretty silly manner and another one is forgotten as soon as it happens. Can't say much without spoiling it but IF (for whatever reason) you decide to watch it, it will leave you wondering: "What the hell was the meaning of that peculiar detail if it's never going to be mentioned again?"
I feel like I could go on and on about it, and still wouldn't be able to cover all the messy parts of the plot. Pacing which is extremely off and wooden acting do not help. Just avoid it.
No one acts in their best interest, and it can't even be explained away as panic, as everyone is calm, just irrational.
For instance, a character lies to the police about something that the police wouldn't really care about, but - for NO reason whatsoever - makes sure to tell the truth to another character who would be upset about it.
Another character pulls an extremely risky and unnecessary stunt in a situation that could have been handled in thousand different ways and each one of them would've made more sense.
Oh, and when it comes to police, nothing about their investigation makes any sense. It feels like the writers asked a six-year-old what they imagine a police investigation looks like, and they actually put it that way in a script.
However, my "favorite" parts were two lame red herrings; one of which is explained away in a pretty silly manner and another one is forgotten as soon as it happens. Can't say much without spoiling it but IF (for whatever reason) you decide to watch it, it will leave you wondering: "What the hell was the meaning of that peculiar detail if it's never going to be mentioned again?"
I feel like I could go on and on about it, and still wouldn't be able to cover all the messy parts of the plot. Pacing which is extremely off and wooden acting do not help. Just avoid it.
A decent mystery with plenty of twists and turns
Tweekums10 July 2023
Best friends Bodil and Isabel tell their husbands that they are going away for a short holiday together but in fact they are each providing the other with an alibi so they can have an assignation with somebody else. When Bodil returns to the house they are staying at there is no sign of Isabel. She informs the police she doesn't exactly tell them the truth about what has been happening. When evidence emerges suggesting Isabel has been murdered Bodil will have a hard time being believed as she starts telling the truth. When their husbands arrive on the scene tensions rise and secrets are revealed.
This Dutch film may follow the formula for the genre, plenty of twists and turns and just about everybody being a suspect at some point, but that doesn't mean it isn't fun and the finale is far from obvious. Many reviewers aren't keen on the acting but I thought it was pretty good; especially from Bracha van Doesburgh who plays Bodil. The location, an isolated house near the sea in Belgium adds to the atmosphere nicely. Overall I wouldn't say this was a must see but it passed ninety odd minutes well enough; worth a watch if you enjoy the genre.
These comments are based on watching the film in Dutch with English subtitles.
This Dutch film may follow the formula for the genre, plenty of twists and turns and just about everybody being a suspect at some point, but that doesn't mean it isn't fun and the finale is far from obvious. Many reviewers aren't keen on the acting but I thought it was pretty good; especially from Bracha van Doesburgh who plays Bodil. The location, an isolated house near the sea in Belgium adds to the atmosphere nicely. Overall I wouldn't say this was a must see but it passed ninety odd minutes well enough; worth a watch if you enjoy the genre.
These comments are based on watching the film in Dutch with English subtitles.
after all a silly movie
adriana231220 May 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Acting of Bracha was really flat and unbelievable!
Predictable theme and slow beginning.
Twists and turns but too many lose ends!
How can you sleep so well in a house where your friend has been murdered and the murderer not yet caught! How could she react so without any emotion throughout the whole play?!
Did the husband not see what was happening with all the cameras in the house?
The plot was unbelievable!
The body was not yet found and still taking off with her friend? Where to? Without identity? Why?
Kiss and make up ending?
Wouldn't it have been more special to let the stayers believe nothing was solved and than a screenshot of the two on an sunny Island.
Everything was so weak. A real disappointment.
Predictable theme and slow beginning.
Twists and turns but too many lose ends!
How can you sleep so well in a house where your friend has been murdered and the murderer not yet caught! How could she react so without any emotion throughout the whole play?!
Did the husband not see what was happening with all the cameras in the house?
The plot was unbelievable!
The body was not yet found and still taking off with her friend? Where to? Without identity? Why?
Kiss and make up ending?
Wouldn't it have been more special to let the stayers believe nothing was solved and than a screenshot of the two on an sunny Island.
Everything was so weak. A real disappointment.
Loved the tension building plot
vdboor-0678828 December 2022
Positive surprise from a Dutch movie production. Strong characters, with a complex psychological background that makes it believable that they do what they do. Bracha delivers a top performance, and Elise is good as usual.
We couldn't see any surreal plotholes or silliness from the main character. Under normal circumstances people may choose differently, but here its not clear whom to trust. The idea that a judge would fall through the cracks and find herself in a position of suspicion makes it extra interesting.
This movie maintained a constant tension of "what will happen next?". While some critics called it painfully slow we didn't experience that at all. Instead, it's never clear what will happen next or how the story will end. This kept us hooked in.
The end isnt your typical ending, which is something I love to see, but its wrap up was very brief and could have used an extra scene or two. Overall enjoyed a good movie night!
We couldn't see any surreal plotholes or silliness from the main character. Under normal circumstances people may choose differently, but here its not clear whom to trust. The idea that a judge would fall through the cracks and find herself in a position of suspicion makes it extra interesting.
This movie maintained a constant tension of "what will happen next?". While some critics called it painfully slow we didn't experience that at all. Instead, it's never clear what will happen next or how the story will end. This kept us hooked in.
The end isnt your typical ending, which is something I love to see, but its wrap up was very brief and could have used an extra scene or two. Overall enjoyed a good movie night!
not to bad
LetsReviewThat2618 May 2023
Faithfully yours was not that bad of a movie, atleast to me. It follows these two woman bodil and isabel are two great friends that strieve for a bit of fun away from their husbands and do exactly that. Bodil is more of the staying in type going to hotels and finding waiters while isabel likes to go to raves and see whats on offer. But what happens when one woman goes missing and the other starts a desperate search for her all ending in a way you would not expect. Bracha van doesburgh and elise schaap play the woman and I think both did well enough to make the film itself entertaining. Overall not a bad movie and its story was done well enough and not to bad really.
Really bad acting
johnbaggs18 May 2023
Don't be dazzeled by the third review, the first review was pretty accurate.
Terrible, amateurish acting. , one of the leads, acts like a 16 year old instead of a grown adult. Her facial expressions are so over dramatic, I feel like I'm watching an episode of Saved by the Bell murder mystery.
Walks past an old man with blood all over himself and doesn't think to ask if he's OK. WTF? One of many scenes that make no sense to sensible people.
The Police ask Bo to contact Isabel's family. Yeah, that's not gonna happen, especially when she could be a suspect.
Later Police show everyone the murder scene picture. How stupid and unprofessional, is the writer on drugs?
The storyline writing is so poor and rushed, plus the dialog between characters is wooden and lacking in any type of emotion you'd associate with people who are supposed to be friends.
They talk to each other more like work colleagues that only talk at work and can't be bothered with one another otherwise.
I'm guessing the writer doesn't have a lot of friends or is socially inept. So many things that don't make sense, make the story disjointed and frankly, barely watchable.
I slugged through it and honestly I don't know why. It clearly wasn't worth it.
Terrible, amateurish acting. , one of the leads, acts like a 16 year old instead of a grown adult. Her facial expressions are so over dramatic, I feel like I'm watching an episode of Saved by the Bell murder mystery.
Walks past an old man with blood all over himself and doesn't think to ask if he's OK. WTF? One of many scenes that make no sense to sensible people.
The Police ask Bo to contact Isabel's family. Yeah, that's not gonna happen, especially when she could be a suspect.
Later Police show everyone the murder scene picture. How stupid and unprofessional, is the writer on drugs?
The storyline writing is so poor and rushed, plus the dialog between characters is wooden and lacking in any type of emotion you'd associate with people who are supposed to be friends.
They talk to each other more like work colleagues that only talk at work and can't be bothered with one another otherwise.
I'm guessing the writer doesn't have a lot of friends or is socially inept. So many things that don't make sense, make the story disjointed and frankly, barely watchable.
I slugged through it and honestly I don't know why. It clearly wasn't worth it.
An average movie yet definitely worth watching !!
eseleokohesene21 May 2023
Ignore the hate reviews. I wonder what y'all really were looking for. The bad reviews made me hesitate watching, but then I did as I had nothing else to see. I regret listening to the comments because I enjoyed it. The movie could have been better, but it's not as bad as people here have been saying. I do feel like things were a bit paced at some places, or that some scenes required more details, however it's definitely worth a watch at a relaxing hour. This is the first time I'm seeing a Dutch movie, as I speak English, I did read the subtitles. So for someone who struggled to read, I didn't turn off the show and I saw it to the very end.
I would say a 6.3 is fair.
MHCAZi31 July 2023
Warning: Spoilers
I'm actually shocked by all the 2/3 star reviews. Now, in no way was this a great movie, but seriously.....cmon. This isn't some C rated horror/thriller movie about getting ran over by a possessed tire.
ANYWAYS
After watching the movie, I felt I got exactly what I was expecting. There's quite a few twists and turns. If you've watched these types of "who done it/what happened" movies, you most likely will figure it out right toward the beginning. But to me, it didn't cause me to stop watching. Don't get me wrong, there is some very over the top scenarios in this film, but if you're looking to kill some time or just watch a mystery thriller movie, I would recommend this one.
ANYWAYS
After watching the movie, I felt I got exactly what I was expecting. There's quite a few twists and turns. If you've watched these types of "who done it/what happened" movies, you most likely will figure it out right toward the beginning. But to me, it didn't cause me to stop watching. Don't get me wrong, there is some very over the top scenarios in this film, but if you're looking to kill some time or just watch a mystery thriller movie, I would recommend this one.
Some Interesting Aspects But Not Great
tkdlifemagazine21 May 2023
There are a lot of good and compelling elements in this Dutch thriller. Two woman go away on a romantic weekend with their lovers, instead of their husbands and one is murdered. It is low budget, but it is engaging and interesting to watch how their romantic deception unravels their families' lives in the midst of the murder. I did have an issue with the main character's reaction to her friends murder, although otherwise I found the acting to be good. I am not sure if a murder investigation is treated as casually outside of the United States as it appears to be here, but that issue unnerved me, a little, when watching. It has twists, which keep it interesting. But, not necessarily, more believable. I do think it is good filmmaking-the cinematography and the Direction are smart. It does keep you guessing, but in the end is messier than it needs to be.
Bit of a cheat.
dweston-386695 August 2023
Warning: Spoilers
This would not seem out of place in the early 90s' erotic thriller ' genre, think Basic Instinct, Sliver or any Zalman King type lightweight films.
Like them, this is a moderately entertaining thriller that has a too much heavy reliance on tying things up too conveniently- how did a private jet get purchased at the end? How could a rather thin young woman drown the antagonist who is much stronger/heavier than her in the sea?
All the actors, par Luuk, are wholesome and pretty.
The female lead is probably the least convincing 'judge' I've ever seen.
The plot may surprise some who haven't seen many twisty thrillers- Laura got it mid way through.
A solid,Saturday night ' leave your brain at the door' Netflix hokum.
Like them, this is a moderately entertaining thriller that has a too much heavy reliance on tying things up too conveniently- how did a private jet get purchased at the end? How could a rather thin young woman drown the antagonist who is much stronger/heavier than her in the sea?
All the actors, par Luuk, are wholesome and pretty.
The female lead is probably the least convincing 'judge' I've ever seen.
The plot may surprise some who haven't seen many twisty thrillers- Laura got it mid way through.
A solid,Saturday night ' leave your brain at the door' Netflix hokum.
Twisted murder mystery
mheifets3 September 2023
Quite entertaining murder plot. A classic whodunit with a.. surprize ending.
Two friends from Nederlands have gone on weekend trip to a resort in Ostende, leaving their husbands behind.
The plan is to cover up for each other's flings in Ostende. Bodil is staying at her beach house and spends a night with an attractive one night stand guy. She gets a call from her friends husband that he broke her ankle and wants to talk to her and needs his wife to come home. The catch : she kept her friend's phone and texted the husband the night before that they both were there together. In the morning, after going to the beach for a swim, she finds her friends suit case in the doorway with blood all over and her friend missing. Everyone is a suspect.
Well acted, tension builds up constantly and the killer is...???
Grant this is not a cinematographic masterpiece, but is a Classic whodunit film.
A few loose ends are left untied, but this does not detract from the entertainment. Some criticize inaccuracies in depicting Belgian criminal procedure, but so what! Its still fun to watch.
Two friends from Nederlands have gone on weekend trip to a resort in Ostende, leaving their husbands behind.
The plan is to cover up for each other's flings in Ostende. Bodil is staying at her beach house and spends a night with an attractive one night stand guy. She gets a call from her friends husband that he broke her ankle and wants to talk to her and needs his wife to come home. The catch : she kept her friend's phone and texted the husband the night before that they both were there together. In the morning, after going to the beach for a swim, she finds her friends suit case in the doorway with blood all over and her friend missing. Everyone is a suspect.
Well acted, tension builds up constantly and the killer is...???
Grant this is not a cinematographic masterpiece, but is a Classic whodunit film.
A few loose ends are left untied, but this does not detract from the entertainment. Some criticize inaccuracies in depicting Belgian criminal procedure, but so what! Its still fun to watch.
Amateur hour
subs-164 June 2023
Warning: Spoilers
If the Belgian police are any near as inept as this movie makes them out to be the. God help Belgians.
This movie is pathetic in almost every respect. It's like some rich kids dad gave him some money because he wanted to make a movie and he threw in every cliched twist and turn he could regardless of the fact it made no sense to do so. There appears to be no real storyline here, just a "thriller" plot line for the sake of making a move.
There are so many things that don't make sense at all to have supposedly normal people donor not do in the circumstances you can't keep track. So, read the other reviews and take heed.
This movie is pathetic in almost every respect. It's like some rich kids dad gave him some money because he wanted to make a movie and he threw in every cliched twist and turn he could regardless of the fact it made no sense to do so. There appears to be no real storyline here, just a "thriller" plot line for the sake of making a move.
There are so many things that don't make sense at all to have supposedly normal people donor not do in the circumstances you can't keep track. So, read the other reviews and take heed.
see what happens when you don't tell the truth?
ksf-229 December 2023
From the awesome nederland. Bo and isabel sneak off for fun times in the city, each doing their own thing. And telling their husbands that they are on vacation together. But when tragedy strikes, the truth, or at least some of this will all come out. It doesn't help that the coppers aren't sure what to believe, since people keep changing their stories. Who can we believe now? People we thought were trustworthy seem to be up to no good! It's pretty good.. the beach scenes near the end were a bit over the top. How could someone in that condition run so fast?? But at least it's all neatly tied up. Directed by andré vanduren. He's won some film fest awards.
Silly ending, not what it seems to be
rmmorelli18 May 2023
This is a very strange movie, with an especially strange ending. In fact, I would describe the ending as not only anticlimactic, but actually silly.
As the promotion states, "... Best friends Bodil and Isabel, apparently happily married, sneak off for secret affairs ... Bodil gets caught up in her own web of lies."
Sounds like a fairly typical pretext. But there's something really strange in how the film plays this out, that doesn't really add up. Bodil does indeed get caught in her own web of lies. And as we are shown and told pretty much the first scene to the last, Bodil is pathological, both in her dishonesty as well as her indifference to all characters except herself. She waltzes from situation to situation, exhibiting cruelty, indifference, and extreme selfishness at every step, with seemingly hardly a care. She's perhaps intended to be psychopathic, if I'm reading it right.
OK, well enough. We have our villain and the audience is set up for some kind of dramatic resolution. Since Bodil is presented as a person without any personal charm or redeeming qualities, it would seem there are only a limited range of ways to untangle things.
I had mapped out several possible endings that I thought could give an interesting enough ending to possibly justify the meandering 95 minutes (which seemed much longer). But what they actually did, was really quite strange and anticlimactic. The plot becomes increasingly implausible as the movie progresses, with quite a few dangling threads and "just so" events, and ends on a hollow note.
This is pure speculation, but my guess is the film makers had a reasonable plot planned originally, or else they would never have started the project. For some reason, I guess, they decided at the last minute not to use the original ending. This left them stuck having to scramble to do something else, and ended up forcing an unnatural and incoherent ending.
As the promotion states, "... Best friends Bodil and Isabel, apparently happily married, sneak off for secret affairs ... Bodil gets caught up in her own web of lies."
Sounds like a fairly typical pretext. But there's something really strange in how the film plays this out, that doesn't really add up. Bodil does indeed get caught in her own web of lies. And as we are shown and told pretty much the first scene to the last, Bodil is pathological, both in her dishonesty as well as her indifference to all characters except herself. She waltzes from situation to situation, exhibiting cruelty, indifference, and extreme selfishness at every step, with seemingly hardly a care. She's perhaps intended to be psychopathic, if I'm reading it right.
OK, well enough. We have our villain and the audience is set up for some kind of dramatic resolution. Since Bodil is presented as a person without any personal charm or redeeming qualities, it would seem there are only a limited range of ways to untangle things.
I had mapped out several possible endings that I thought could give an interesting enough ending to possibly justify the meandering 95 minutes (which seemed much longer). But what they actually did, was really quite strange and anticlimactic. The plot becomes increasingly implausible as the movie progresses, with quite a few dangling threads and "just so" events, and ends on a hollow note.
This is pure speculation, but my guess is the film makers had a reasonable plot planned originally, or else they would never have started the project. For some reason, I guess, they decided at the last minute not to use the original ending. This left them stuck having to scramble to do something else, and ended up forcing an unnatural and incoherent ending.
Terrific film
beesol18 May 2023
I'm wondering if I saw the same film as the reviews given here. I watched the film in the afternoon and loved it so much I watched it with my wife the same evening. And she was gripped too.
The plot was tightly wrought and beautifully and sensitively exposed. Not a second was wasted - every conversation, every bit of action in the movie was meaningful in terms of driving the plot. Watching it immediately for a second time I could see how everything had meaning (Bobdil's swimming, Luuk's overwhelming grief at his wife's death etc). Not to say the ingenious idea itself of tying in an exploration of morality with a murder mystery.
I am just so astonished that other people weren't similarly gripped.
The plot was tightly wrought and beautifully and sensitively exposed. Not a second was wasted - every conversation, every bit of action in the movie was meaningful in terms of driving the plot. Watching it immediately for a second time I could see how everything had meaning (Bobdil's swimming, Luuk's overwhelming grief at his wife's death etc). Not to say the ingenious idea itself of tying in an exploration of morality with a murder mystery.
I am just so astonished that other people weren't similarly gripped.
Predictable Nonsense
honeybloggs-6964820 May 2023
It looked promising for the.first five minutes . Then it went rapidly down hill . I think the director was going for an eerie mysterious kind of vibe . It didn't work !
You always expected more but it didn't happen . The female lead was a judge but she seemed very stupid . She couldn't figure anything out . The movie was disjointed .
Two married Dutch women both judges travel from Holland to Belgium to sleep with other men . One of them goes to her holiday home the other to a hotel .. The acting is appalling! The female lead kept running around to different places for no reason whatsoever ! Lol! I think it was to fill up time in the film. It was also very predictable . I figured it out within the first 10 minutes of the film
I'd guessed the ending . And I am sure others could too. I'd give this film a minus ten if I could not because it was predictable but because the plot and acting were so bad and the film lacked atmosphere . I can't believe this rubbish was made into a film.
You always expected more but it didn't happen . The female lead was a judge but she seemed very stupid . She couldn't figure anything out . The movie was disjointed .
Two married Dutch women both judges travel from Holland to Belgium to sleep with other men . One of them goes to her holiday home the other to a hotel .. The acting is appalling! The female lead kept running around to different places for no reason whatsoever ! Lol! I think it was to fill up time in the film. It was also very predictable . I figured it out within the first 10 minutes of the film
I'd guessed the ending . And I am sure others could too. I'd give this film a minus ten if I could not because it was predictable but because the plot and acting were so bad and the film lacked atmosphere . I can't believe this rubbish was made into a film.
Just what Netflix needs...
jfbbcsjrqg18 May 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Yet another show about cheating skanks, conniving, lying, taking advantage of men they claim to love, while using 'if it makes you happy, it can't be all that bad' as an excuse for anything, including this absolutely horrific script, weak characters, whole-filled plot, and bad acting. The voice-after work? Like most Netflix productions, about as convincing as campaign promises... do they just hire voice actors at the day laborer pickup point outside of the nearest Home Depot? Apparently, the production team expects you to believe if women are attractive, they simply can't help themselves from turning into bicycles for the entire country to ride. Really sad, pathetic story, with an equally vile faux ending.
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