Danielle Solzman
A chance encounter may lead into a Long Weekend but getting to know each other and lasting longer might be easier said than done.
When Bart (Finn Wittrock) encounters Vienna (Zoë Chao), you can almost call it love at first sight. But before this relationship can go anywhere, the two must communicate with each other. The thing is that whatever they say could be detrimental to their relationship before it really has a chance to get underway. Oh, you can’t hurry love. Will they be able to last beyond the weekend? Or will their newfound relationship just fall apart?
Cathartic writing makes for the basis of solid storytelling in Long Weekend. This is exactly what happened in Steve Basilone’s case. His mom died and his marriage ended. Next thing you know, he’s calling up the woman he met after spending long days at the hospital. Well, except for the part where he gets the wrong number message upon dialing. Basilone is a veteran of Happy Endings, Community, and The Goldbergs–all three comedies are represented in the cast.
It’s always a joy to see some of the cast on screen. Some of them make the best of the limited screen time they get. That’s my biggest disappointment in the film but it’s nothing too major. Finn Wittrock and Zoë Chao command the most screen time among the entire cast. Otherwise, the film wouldn’t be about Bart and Vienna!
At first glance, Long Weekend looks like the exact type of film that got produced over the last year. It is easy to think this with very minimal cast in the film. Moreover, quite a bit of footage takes place outside. You would think that it was actually shot during the pandemic! However, this is far from reality. Principal photography was actually completed in 2019. It’s one of those cases where it’s really just a coincidence.
DIRECTOR/SCREENWRITER: Steve Basilone
CAST: Finn Wittrock, Zoë Chao, Casey Wilson, Jim Rash, with Damon Wayans Jr. and Wendi McLendon-Covey
