Genre: Sci-fi
Director: Tommy Wirkola
Cast: Noomi Rapace, Marwan Kenzari, Glenn Close, and Willem Dafoe
Studio: Netflix
Runtime: 123 minutes
Release Date: Available on Netflix August 18, 2017
Rated: Not Rated
Rating
Set in the near future where overpopulation threatens the Earth, What Happened to Monday follows a group of identical septuplets (Noomi Rapace), each of whom were named by their grandfather (William Dafoe) for each day of the week. They’re forced to live in hiding due to the strict One-Child policy that requires all siblings to be put into cryo-sleep. This rule was put in place by The Child Allocation Bureau (CAB) and enforced by Nicolette Cayman (Glenn Close).
Noomi Rapace stars as septuplets
Assuming the identity of Karen Settman (Rapace) allows the sisters to get by; each is able to leave the apartment on the day that corresponds to their name. They manage to succeed for years until one day, their sister Monday goes missing.
What Happened to Monday caught my interest because the premise sounded intriguing and Netflix has a pretty solid track record for their original movies and series. Unfortunately, Netflix can’t win them all because What Happened to Monday is a convoluted mess.
Glenn Close as Nicolette Cayman
Tommy Wirkola’s direction is all over the place. At times, the film feels like it wants to be reminiscent of The Twilight Zone or some similar series, with its mystery-based plot and sci-fi aesthetic. Then it switches gears and wants to be an ultra-violent action film with over-the-top set pieces that feature the sisters fighting back against waves of CAB agents. The two tones, which work well on their own, clash when put together, making it feel like you’re watching two films that were spliced into one.
Rapace pulls off playing seven characters well enough but the writing fails to play to her strengths. Each of the sisters boils down to one specific trait, such as one being brainy, and another being tough, and their personalities don’t really evolve past that. This, unfortunately, makes them all feel one-dimensional. Close is hardly worth mentioning because her character is a stereotypical villain and she plays her as such. Her delivery of dialogue in a stern, monotone voice should be threatening yet it sounds more like she’s bored.
Dafoe’s performance, although brief, is easily the best part of the film. Early scenes showcase him raising the girls and teaching them how to pull off acting as the exact same person. Although Dafoe’s character is not fully developed, he gives it his all, making me wish his role had been much more cultivated.
Willem Dafoe as Terrence Settman, the grandfather to the sisters
The action, although a bit out of place, is surprisingly entertaining. It’s raw, bloody, and incredibly fun to watch. The only issue is that because the action is scattered throughout What Happened to Monday, the scenes begin and end at random. Had Wirkola doubled down and made this a straight-up action film, the two-hour runtime would have been more justified.
Speaking of the runtime, this film is in dire need of a trim. Twenty minutes of the film easily could have been cut, vastly improving What Happened to Monday. For example, an entire subplot about a suspicious co-worker, whose name should have just been Red Herring, leads nowhere and should have been removed. Not to mention the character of Adrian (Marwan Kenzari), boyfriend to one of the sisters, whose existence opens up a variety of plot holes.
Most of the issues can be forgiven, however, making What Happened to Monday an okay, if somewhat forgettable Netflix film except for the ending. It’s completely nonsensical and is treated like a huge surprise when, in reality, you see it coming from almost the very beginning. It’s a “You gotta be kidding me” kind of ending.
It’s hard to recommend What Happened to Monday for any reason other than it’s on Netflix and you can watch it without leaving your living room. There is some fun to be had with the action but unfortunately, it doesn’t salvage this misfire.
For more on this film visit the official site https://www.netflix.com/title/80146805
You can also go to IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1536537/
All Photos: ©2017 Netflix. All Rights Reserved.
Dustin Kogler
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