Netflix's Airplane Mode is a 50/50 time investment since the film isn't something getting particularly excited over but still, couldn't have come at a better time when Influencers and Social Media rage are a millennial priority. The film, premiered last night on the streaming service and I definitely had to see the latest addition to Netflix's foreign language (in this case, Portuguese) catalogue, and being a fan of actress Larissa Manoela was another motivation for me to watch it right away.

PLOT

Ana is your typical influencer. Pretty, stuck-up and shrieks excitedly at the likes, fast coming as they are. She has been contracted by True Fashion, headed by a mean and dominating Carola, who revels at things going her way and everyone working by the scripts she fabricates. Ana is dating Gil, yet another influencer, cute, but least favorite of online netizens. 


'
Ana's parents, Inácio and Laura are constantly annoyed by her ignorance of the world beyond her cell phone and social media, and Ana seems to have an irritating penchant for crashing into other people's cars (8 times as shown at the beginning of the film). Her perfect internet life comes to a halt after she crashes into yet another car and this leads her to hospital. Though nothing serious has happened, the courts decide that she has to face the consequences of giving in to a social media addiction. First, she is banned from driving and using her cell phone and has no choice than to detox in a place with no social media coverage. Her grandfather's home!

Upon arriving in the countryside, the first person she meets is João, a cute country boy (André Frambach) while trying to get his younger sister, Julia, to give her her cell phone (she claims to find the location of her grandfather's house)

Then there is her grandfather, Germano, who at first, comes off as rusty, but the two end up getting along, while she helps him fix cars in his shop. He is even prompted to reveal the truth about why he and his son, Ana's father, have not spoken for a long time - because her grandmother chose to spend her last day's in the country, while Ana's father wanted his mother treated in the city - and Germano even admits to his grand-daughter that he may have made his wife choose what he wanted.





Ana also explores the side of her that had always wanted to be a fashion designer when her grand-father opens the door to her late grandmother's shrine, revealing the real source of Ana's fashion talents - her own grandmother!

Ana's experience in the countryside seems to have an effect on her view of the world as she embraces family more and explores more of what kind of fashion inspires her. Well, until she finds out that Gil, who broke up with her publicly on a Photogram live some time back (embarrassing!) and her friend Mara get together to be True Fashion's influencing couple, while she finds out that her parents faked the entire court order against her after her little accident just to get her away from social media.

And does she overcome it? 


PROS

Airplane Mode is very convincing in exhibiting how much social media has an effect on millennials and the importance it has been doned. The film also has the fun effect, in scenes such as Ana's bonding with her grandfather, Germano, and the nuggets of wisdom she gets to pick up from him.



The aspect of a social influencer's life being demanding and insane is revealed, with Ana even telling her grandfather that he judged her before ever listening to her and he admits that later on in the film, true to a typical influencer's life.

The film is about redemption. Ana's addiction to social media is eating away at her with toxicity. It depicts how this can be worrying for today's parents, forcing them to resort to crazy but impactful tactics to curb social media addiction.

It was important how the film spoke about plagiarism and lack of originality, when Carola stole Ana's design from her collection, Meridiana (a mash-up of Ana's grandmother's name and her own name) and how they were able to prove Carola stole the designs in a public launching of the collection.

CONS

I definitely had an issue with the aerial view of the countryside roads. At first, it was cute until the images became a bit too monotonous.

Then there is Ana and João falling in love. Quite possibly the most cliche move I have seen in the movie because this is always happening with the girl who goes to the countryside to "rehabilitate" but at least the script does not make us think about it too much.




As for acting, the cast members are doing their best despite a few scenes where the acting just seems a bit too forced and unnatural.

All in all, the film really depicts the trueness in exploring life beyond the familiar and Ana's story leaves the viewers wondering if real life really is far-fetched than it really seems. No one is really missing out on a lot if they don't watch Airplane Mode since it's not that big of a deal, but it is decent and I'd recommend it to someone who is passing time as they think of what to really sit down and binge-watch:


Watch the full trailer of Airplane Mode here: