Loving Adults (2022) Movie Review – An infidelity thriller with lots of unfulfilled potential
An infidelity thriller with a lot of untapped potential
Originally called Kaerlighed for voksne, Danish crime drama Loving Adults on Netflix centers on Anna Ekberg’s book Krlighed for voksne. The film tells the story of Christian and Leonora, a couple tied to a loveless union.
On the surface, they seem to have everything and live an ideal life. This is especially true after her son recovers from a serious, protracted illness. But when Leonora discovers her partner at a party with his colleague Xenia, some dead bodies come to light in the closet.
Loving Adults, directed by Barbara Rothenborg, paints a very disturbing picture of an unhappy marriage. It’s similar to Gone Girl in appearance, but it’s meaner.
The couple tries to repair their failing marriage in unconventional ways. Christian decides to cheat on his partner Leonora, but she keeps him close by withholding information from his past – and her husband is motivated to kill her for it.
Christian tries to kill Leonora, but his plan fails and his life takes a somewhat disastrous turn. What happens next causes Leonora and Christian’s relationship to become even more dysfunctional and diabolical. To rectify the situation, Christian, after being pressured by his wife, decides to commit another murder which spawns another and leaves a rather horrible mess in its wake.
With masterful execution, Barbara Topse-Rothenborg and the authors give you exactly the opposite of what you would expect from a typical romance novel. It expands on a compelling narrative in which the cheating spouse seeks protection by applying pressure to keep the cheating partner from leaving. You have to contend with something unsettling and intense when you add infatuation, manipulation, the emotional burdens of parental responsibility, delinquency and a murky relationship history from years ago.
The film is certainly not for the faint of heart due to its macabre content. As the story of Christian and Leonora’s troubled marriage unfolds, viewers are sure to doubt their loyalty and choose sides.
The theme of running appears throughout the story. As Leonara puts on her purple windbreaker and begins to walk, you can see the film’s plot elements coming together. Christian’s first rushed plan stems from her obsession with long runs. As soon as the scandal broke, we observe that he’s spontaneous and she’s analytical, so they approach things very differently. A visit to Leonara’s best friend brings up old rumours. Something her friend says to Christian resonates with him. Leonara has a tendency to give her everything or nothing. It sums up everything he’s dealing with.
The story of Loving Adults revolves around familiar themes such as broken marriages and crimes of passion that we often encounter in movies and TV shows. Despite an intriguing premise, Loving Adults’ plot is somewhat unoriginal. It uses cliches like the unfaithful husband and the crazy, bitter, and twisted girlfriend all too often.
Additionally, emotional difficulties are not acknowledged and portrayed while issues such as separation and marriage are addressed. Instead, it opts for cheesy drama. There is also a pointless story about Leonora’s early years that is nothing but cliché.
The Netflix thriller’s literary narrative style, which gives the film a novel-like feel despite its inconsistent pacing, is its one redeeming quality.
Although the production values are extremely high and the two main characters seem superior to the content, the story has the structural integrity of an amoeba. A mid-movie twist is unexpected and should ideally increase the tension between the main characters.
Conversely, no one is willing to come out and make life difficult for the two protagonists. We should assume that officials will logically give credence to testimonies from a couple connected to (or at least living near) two crime scenes that happened within a few weeks.
There are several narrative gaps in the film, including a major logical leap to believing that a posh hotel doesn’t have security cameras around the building, nor do authorities have access to roadside surveillance systems. In fact, investigators don’t even look at Christian’s financial assets! This is only compounded by the fact that this ending is incredibly frustrating.
Though the plot is weak, the carefully constructed scenes and the key couple’s outstanding performances carry the film forward. Overall, the services are top notch.
Though intriguing, Loving Adults’ plot ultimately falls flat. The story is certainly fascinating, but there are significant flaws that are hard to overlook. This is a thriller with a lot of unfulfilled potential. Despite its serious issues, Loving Adults is still entertaining to watch.
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