Summary
37 Dni: Ten Dzień (365 Days: This Day) which released in 2022, is a Polish erotic drama film directed by Barbara Białowąs and Tomasz Mandes. It is a sequel to the 2020 film 365 Days and follows the tumultuous and steamy romance of Laura Biel and Don Massimo Torricelli. The plot is adapted from a screenplay of a Blanka Lipinska trilogy’s second book.
The sequel begins instantly as the first film ended, with a mysterious car accident and Laura’s pregnancy. By the time This Day picks up, Laura and Massimo are married, and ready to supposedly embark on a new life together. Nevertheless, bliss is short-lived and reveals deeper, unresolved tensions, secrets, and emotional chasms.
Massimo is unaware that Laura lost the baby due to the accident. She suffers in silence alongside her best friend Olga. Laura is trying to navigate the life of a Mafia boss’s wife, but feels emotionally trapped due to Massimo’s protectiveness and the volatile nature of their relationship.
The situation becomes even more complicated when Laura starts thinking that Massimo might be cheating on her. One snapshot of him with his ex-lover Anna sends Laura into immense self doubt mixed with sheer anger. She flees the scene with a new and sexy attachment named Nacho, who is introduced as the gardener that Massimo employed. Laura starts finding solace in Nacho’s presence, starting to trust him and unlike anything she imagined, slowly becoming attracted to him threatening her relationship with Massimo.
Wow, the narrative really becomes interesting now doesn’t it. It turns out Nacho is not just some nobody; he is the son of a mafia family rivaling the rest and actively participating in power moves. Most shocking of all though, is the fact that Massimo has a freaking twin brother, Adriano, who in key moments – like the one where Laura chooses to self mistrust – has been standing in as him. Massimo’s enemies, in all of the existing chaos, are aligned with Adriano’s reckless antics adding even more uncertainty to this already volatile mix.
Things are bound to climax; in this case, with a violent showdown between Massimo, his brother – now revealed as Adriano – and our sweet Nacho. Cue the gunfire and dangerously wounding Laura in the process. Ending the movie with creating heavy ambiguity over whether or not somehow mortally wounded Laura can be part of the next addition of this trilogy.
Cast and Characters
Anna-Maria Sieklucka as Laura Biel
Sieklucka reprises her role as the emotional epicenter of the tale. No longer is Laura simply a kidnapped survivor; she is a deeply conflicted woman teetering between her yearnings for freedom and passion, as well as a complicated loyalty tethered to Massimo. Her story arc concentrates on a struggle towards self-discovery while enduring trapped in dangerous environments.
Michele Morrone as Massimo Torricelli/Adriano Torricelli
Morrone portrays both Massimo and his twin brother, Adriano. As Massimo, he continues to be brooding, possessive, and intense. While in the chaotic and unstable counterpart, Adriano. Having both roles enables Morrone to navigate various portrayals of dominion and male aggression.
Simone Susinna as Nacho
Subsequently, we meet Nacho who is brought in as a calmer and more rooted character. He brings Laura what Massimo couldn’t provide. Control and safety. He does, however, come from rival mafia ties which bring an interesting ethical dynamic to the character.
Magdalena Lamparska as Olga
Now we have the character of Olga, who has the role of Laura’s best friend. She provides comic relief while at the same time acting Laura’s confidant. For Laura, her support system is incredibly shallow which makes her bond with Olga that much more precious.
Natasza Urbańska as Anna
Now we can move on to Anna who is the driving force behind most of the movie’s drama. With history of Massimo, her presence becomes detrimental to Laura’s self-esteem and trust which heightens the conflict in the movie.
Direction and Style
The two directors B Barbara Białowąs and Tomasz Mandes kept the thematic and visual style from the first film. they opted to focus on elegance, eroticism, and melodrama. Alongside these aspects, the film is full of slow motion scenes, dark lighting, and bold music; all of which assist in giving off a more dramatic and revealing feel to the film.
The cinematographic work enhances the beautiful sights of Italy and Spain. Scenes from the beach, palatial buildings, and expensive clothing further add to the fantasy aspect of the film’s world. Music becomes an important part in the movie as it often coincides with sexy scenes or scenes filled with emotions.
As captivating as the film may be, critics have always pointed out the glarring flaws of focusing more on design than the core of the movie. While the film employs a lot of visual appeal, there seems to be little to no character development or clear plot advancement.
Themes and Analysis
Just like the title suggests, 365 Days: This Day is a movie focused on obsession, power, and delusion of romantic control. The story is executed around the idea of owning your significant other which tends to tread the thin line of want and control. For most of the movie, Laura is depicted as a woman trying to live a life that she did not completely opt into, and in the midst of her journey, desperately looking for power in a live she’s forced into.
The subject of duality is of major importance particularly with the introduction of Massimo’s twin Adriano. This serves to further deepen the film’s treatment of love’s duality — the joy and suffering, the passion and treachery, the loyalty and deception.
The film also aims, albeit unsuccessfully to some, to address more nuanced issues such as grief, trust, and trauma. Laura’s miscarriage, her desire for autonomy, as well as her mixed feelings towards Massimo and Nacho all point towards a character who wishes to make sense of a reality that is striving to be increasingly incoherent.
Reception and Criticism
365 Days: This Day received acutely negative reviews from critics. It was widely criticized for a nonexistent plot, shallow character development, or problematic relationship dynamics. Reviewers mentioned the overabundance of sexual activity in the film to the detriment of advancing the plot.
The film has been criticized for romanticizing the traits of controlling abusive relationships. These same responses aimed at the first film of the series have resurfaced and renewed discussions about the representation of consent in mainstream entertainment media.
The movie in the focus of our analysis did not do well critically, but it did find commercial success on streaming platforms. Within its release window, the streaming service crowed it as a bestseller, revealing that there was an audience drawn to its blend of eroticism and escapism.
Conclusion
This Day continues with the lavish visuals and high drama of The saga of Laura and Massimo. The installment attempts to be an erotic thriller swaddled in romantic fantasy, but more often than not, does so while failing to stand up under the weight of its own contradictions. The narrative is achingly simplistic; the viewer is presented with a plot oscillating between melodrama and soap opera.
Those who followed the first movie or seek sensationalized romance will find something worthwhile here. The work, however, is polarizing. Its representation of love and power is still fiercely contested, particularly in today’s discourse around emotional well-being and the gendered power dynamics at play.
As the middle piece of a trilogy, This Day does set up the emotionally charged threads and dramatic reveals. If, in the final act, the series will mature into a more thoughtful and responsible story remains an open question. Until then, the trilogy stands as one of the most striking examples of neo-erotic cinema, capitalizing on their allure—and their controversies.
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