Netflix's Steamy Hit Movie 365 Days Draws Comparisons to 50 Shades — and Has Sequels on the Way

The new film 365 Days is an adaptation of the first novel in an erotic book trilogy by Polish author Blanka Lipińska

Published on June 15, 2020 01:06 PM

The latest movie to find an eager fan base on Netflix is a steamy Poland export.

Last week, 365 Days held strong as it became the most-watched film on the streaming platform after debuting on the site on June 7. Though it was eventually unseated by Spike Lee's new Netflix original movie Da 5 Bloods over the weekend, the erotic thriller remains high in the rankings.

But what exactly is the foreign film that's drawing comparisons to the Fifty Shades of Grey franchise?

365 Days is an adaptation of the first book in a trilogy by Polish author Blanka Lipińska, titled 365 dni. The movie follows Laura (played by newcomer Anna-Maria Sieklucka) as she's kidnapped by a member of a Sicilian mafia named Massimo (Michele Morrone).

Massimo holds Laura captive, giving her one year (aka 365 days!) to fall in love with him.

Similar to the big-screen adaptations of the Fifty Shades books, 365 Days includes more than a few sex scenes — but the sequences might even make Christian Grey blush. Decider called the film "the closest thing to porn on Netflix," and Uproxx wrote that it makes E.L. James' popular BDSM stories "seem tame by comparison."

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And for fans thirsty for more of the story, plans are already in the works for a sequel. Lipińska's other two books in the series — Ten dzień (This Day) and Kolejne 365 dni (Another 365 Days) — are already published, and according to Newsweek, two of the film's stars confirmed that more is to come.

Production on the follow-up installment, however, are currently on hold due to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak.

"We will not be able to go abroad to shoot this year because of the pandemic. You must be patient and wait," said Sieklucka in an Instagram Live Q&A translated to English, according to the outlet. "It will probably be next year. We do not know exactly when we will be able to start."

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Not everyone is calling for more of 365 Days, though. Several critics skewered the film for it portrayal of the central romance, claiming it glorifies kidnapping and manipulative relationships.

The movie "romanticizes an extremely toxic relationship, which is never okay," wrote Cosmopolitan's Taylor Andrews, as Jessica Kiang said in her Variety review that it is "thoroughly terrible, politically objectionable, occasionally hilarious."

365 Days is now available to stream on Netflix.