365 Days and Why It Should Be Removed From Netflix
*Be aware this article discusses potentially distressing and triggering topics including (but not limited to; sexual and domestic abuse, coercive behaviour, assault and kidnap. Links at the end of the article for organisations to seek support if you’ve been affected by one of these issues.*
Over the last month I have watched with horror (and some confusion) as the film ‘365 Days’ remains on Netflix UK’s Top 10 Most Watched List, spending a significant amount of time at #1. If, by some blessing, this film shown up at some point on your social media over the last month I watched this film so you don’t have to. Allow me to explain its’ premise.
Based on Blanka Lipinska’s novel of the same name ‘365 Days’ follows Laura Biel, a Polish woman, stuck in a passionless relationship as she gets kidnapped by mafia Don Massimo Toricelli while on holiday in Sicily for her 29th birthday. Massimo then gives Laura (who we learn he has been searching for over a period of years after seeing her once) 365 days to fall in love with him and if she doesn’t he will let her go. Prior to going on to discuss the extreme issues this film has I’d like to make a quick aside and highlight the fact that according to the New York Times 81% of people believe they ‘have a book in them’ – ‘365 Days’ are perfect evidence to highlight why this is not the case.
The genre of Erotic Romance and Romance as a whole has been heavily under fire over the last few years as the growth of the #MeToo movement has cast light on the concerning tropes within the genre which could be considered sexual and domestic abuse. Indeed there has been a move towards attempting to show that these tropes are not acceptable or encouraged, nor are they considered romantic. The film ‘365 Days’ ignores all of this and contributes to normalising abusive behaviours and blatantly portrays a dangerous and toxic relationship as sexy and romantically ‘thrilling’. It’s essentially another Fifty Shades of Grey however switching out a billionaire with a dominating mafia Don and somehow it continues to be popular with 83% of google users liking the film.
Semi-pornographic and constantly bringing up consent but then never actually showing fully consensual sex, it should not be considered appropriate film to have even been made never mind published as a book. Throughout the film Massimo coerces, controls and abuses Laura, from kidnapping her, routinely grabbing her, holds her captive and consistently assaulting her. This behaviour, is treated as normal and desirable only standing to further cement people’s belief that when women say no this can somehow be construed as a yes.
However perhaps the most uncomfortable aspect of this film is the fact that it is so popular. While being treated as a bit of a joke as a generally awful film, it still somehow reached number one and still somehow has hundreds of people saying things like ‘wishing Massimo would come and kidnap me right now’ on social media. But we can’t treat this as a joke because what it shows is continues to be people’s reality. As a society we continue to work towards improving people’s understanding of what a healthy relationship is. What behaviours we should expect and have when conducting ourselves romantically or sexually. There’s still much work to be done to undo the gender stereotypes and toxic behaviours that are conditioned into us. ‘365 Days’ does nothing but hinder our progress towards a world where everyone deserves and expects a relationship of equality and respect.
Under no circumstance should this film have been made, never mind being added and pushed towards viewers by Netflix as some romantic thriller. In fact due to its’ dangerous premise and toxic relationships it portrays I believe the film should be fully taken down from Netflix to limit the reach it has and to show that the normalisation of abuse is not, and never should be considered acceptable.
If you’ve been negatively impacted by this film in any way please or have currently experienced or are experiencing abuse, please consider looking at these resources:
Jess Reid is a writer and activist-in-training. She passionately advocates for better sex education and intersectional feminism. When she’s not writing she can be found with a cup of coffee and a good romance novel. You can find more of her writing at her blog ‘The Sex Talk’ or on Instagram @the_sex_talk20 on Instagram and on Twitter @Jess_Reid2019.
