Common Sense Media Review
By Barbara Shulgasser-Parker
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Fun weekend ends in murder; violence, language, sex.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Faithfully Yours
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
In FAITHFULLY YOURS, Dutch judge Bo (Bracha van Doesburgh) and best friend Isa (Elise Schaap) are planning one of their just-the-girls getaway weekends to Bo's family home in Belgium, leaving their respective husbands, Milan (Nasrdin Dchar) and Luuk (Gijs Naber), behind. It's all part of a longstanding routine that the husbands don't question. But it's immediately clear, as the women arrive in Belgium and go their separate ways, that museums and lectures are secondary to the affairs they're regularly having away from their husbands' watchful eyes. Or so they think. The meticulously planned ruse goes awry when Isa disappears. Bo is reluctant to explain to the police that she hadn't seen Isa for days in order to hide from her husband a history of sexual adventures. Bit by bit, circumstances force Bo to come clean, take back lies, and reveal new incriminating truths, a practice that undermines her credibility with the police. They don't believe her when finally presented with the facts. Everyone looks like a suspect, peripheral characters assume importance, and throwaway clues -- a burner phone, a faulty piano key, a novel -- loom large in retrospect. Mysteries are revealed one by one.
Is It Any Good?
Faithfully Yours is an involving drama featuring adultery, voyeurism, dark web hitmen, and unexpected explanations, all wrapped up neatly with a bow. As a character discovers she may have been the target of a paid executioner, her paranoia grows and that tension is beautifully conveyed. Every observed detail becomes cause for alarm and suspicion as a woman tries to figure out what happened to her friend and what roles other people have played in the friend's disappearance. The consequences of lying are emphasized but the pursuit of pleasure and control are far more fundamental and disturbing themes. It's true that small trucks could be driven through holes in the plot but, overall, the many twists and turns are entertaining and satisfying.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the way the filmmakers plant clues to eventual revelations throughout the plot. Did you figure out the mystery?
The police are skeptical about a witness after her lies are revealed. Do you think it's wise to lie to the police, even if it momentarily seems to save you embarrassment?
What are some of the holes in this complicated plot? Does anything bother you about the tying up of loose ends?
Movie Details
- In theaters : December 22, 2022
- On DVD or streaming : May 17, 2023
- Cast : Bracha van Doesburgh , Elise Schaap , Nasrdin Dchar , Gijs Naber
- Director : Andre van Duren
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Netflix
- Genre : Drama
- Run time : 95 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : May 18, 2023
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