As "Stromboli" (2022 release from the Netherlands; 85 min.) opens, we are introduced to Sara, a recently divorced mom with a 14 yo daughter who hates her. Sara is on a cruise ship heading toward the Italian island of Stromboli for some much needed R&R. On the island, Sara gets into trouble after she loses her purse and her iPhone, and then she is kicked out of her apartment... At this point we are 10 minutes into the movie.
Couple of comments: this is the latest vehicle starring Elise Schaap (as Sara). Schaap became an overnight sensation on the Belgian TV series "Undercover" in her role as Danielle. Mind you, "Undercover" is a fantastic TV series (now 3 seasons into it). Alas, I can't say the same thing about "Stromboli", whose only raison d'etre seems to be that it was filmed on the infamous island. Apart from that, the plot, such as it is, is riddled with cliches and terrible dialogue. And what is the film: a comedy? A drama? It's a cocktail gone horribly wrong, and at times simply cringe-inducing.
"Stromboli" recently started streaming on Netflix (which also has all 3 seasons of "Undercover" plus the split-off movie "Ferry" in its library. I'll be honest: the only reason I watched "Stromboli" is because it stars Elise Schaap. That doesn't mean you have to. In fact, I cannot recommend "Stromboli" to anyone in good conscience. It is truly one of the worst movies I've seen in a long, long time. Typically I urge others to check it out and draw their own conclusion, but I'm not even going to do that here. By all means, stay away from this crap. "Stromboli" is 85 minutes of my life I'll never get back.
