The Weekend Away: Release Date, Cast, And More

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In theory, vacations are a time to kick back, relax, unwind, and enjoy the local scenery. But if your weekend getaway starts chill then nosedives into absolute insanity, you may be in the middle of an action-packed, edge-of-your-seat thriller. Unfortunately, this means relaxing is no longer an option, but on the bright side, you're sure to garner a massive audience determined to untangle all your dark secrets! Such is the case for the unfortunate protagonist at the center of Netflix's upcoming original film, "The Weekend Away." As you can gather from the title, a weekend intended to avoid life's typical annoyances will take some very unexpected turns. I'm guessing our lead will enjoy a solid 20 minutes of fun before the never-ending stress-fest kicks into high gear. My apologies to her and her life, but the more chaotic her story becomes, the more entertained us audience members will be.

Picture this: a gorgeous weekend getaway by the sunkissed beachside. Drinks! Waves! A break from responsibilities! It's almost too good to be true for Beth (Leighton Meester) — up until the part where her best friend is murdered and she becomes the primary suspect. Making matters oh-so-much worse, the weekend away happens to be abroad, in the beautiful country of Croatia. With her passport revoked, foreign detectives on her trail, and a city full of strangers surrounding her, Beth is unable to return home to her husband and child. Her only choice is to solve the mystery and clear her own name. 

If this sounds like something plucked out of a twisty summer beach read, then you clearly know what you're talking about — "The Weekend Away" is based on Sarah Alderson's bestselling novel of the same name. The novel has the ominous tagline, "Two friends go on holiday. Only one comes back." Based on the trailer for the film, this particular detail stays the same — but others are subject to change. Where the original novel takes place in Libson, Netflix has relocated the crime scene to Croatia, where Beth and Kate will face deadly obstacles. On the second day of their vacation, Beth wakes to find Kate gone and from there, her story derails down an intriguing path: "Brushed off by the police and with only a fuzzy memory of the night's events, Beth is her friend's only hope. As she frantically retraces their steps, Beth makes a series of shattering discoveries that threaten everything she holds dear."

"The Weekend Away" comes from director Kim Farrant, who previously helmed the Nicole Kidman-led drama "Strangerland." The frantic film marked Farrant's directorial debut and had its world premiere at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival. Her following feature, "Angel of Mine" starred Noomi Rapace and Luke Evans in a remake of the 2008 French film "L'empreinte de L'Ange." A psychological thriller with dark undercurrents, "Angel of Mine" is a fitting precursor to "The Weekend Away" which sees Farrant mining similar emotional material with a complex secret to unravel. The film is executive produced by Kari Hatfield and author Sarah Alderson. Producers include Erica Steinberg ("Kill Bill," "Night Teeth"), Charlie Morrison("Night teeth," "The Divergent Series: Insurgent"), and Ben Pugh ("The Courier," "The Girl Before").