Netflix viewers accuse erotic thriller 365 Dni of ‘romanticising kidnapping and Stockholm syndrome'

One viewer asked, ‘How is this getting labelled as a romance and not horror?’

Netflix viewers have accused a new erotic thriller of “romanticising” kidnapping and Stockholm syndrome.

Polish language drama 365 Dni – which translates as “365 Days” – premiered internationally on the streaming service in June and quickly made its way into the top three most viewed items on the platform in the UK, the US and Canada.

The film follows Torricelli (Michele Morrone), a mafia boss who abducts executive Laura (Anna-Maria Sieklucka) while on holiday in Sicily, giving her 365 days to fall in love with him.

The erotic film quickly draws parallels with the Fifty Shades of Grey series, but some viewers have accused the drama of “romanticising” kidnapping in showing a victim falling in love with her captor.

Sharing Netflix’s description of the film, which details “a fiery executive in a spiritless relationship [who] falls victim to a dominant mafia boss", one critic tweeted: “Um @netflix what in the actual f***? How do you ‘fall in love’ with your ABDUCTOR?”

They continued: “On what planet are we tagging this as ‘Romantic’? Was this a ‘lavish’ kidnapping? Was it a romantic abduction? How is this getting labelled as a romance and not horror?”

They weren’t the only viewers feeling this way, with one accusing the filmmakers of “trivialising rape and kidnapping”, while another added: “Kidnapping is a crime, it’s not romantic".

Referencing Wattpad, a website once synonymous with erotic fan fiction, a Netflix user questioned: “So which 12 y/o, wattpad, stockholm-syndrome repackaged as a love story, borderline abuse fest did they rip this idea from?”

365 Dni wasn’t universally panned by viewers, with many praising the film for its sex scenes, but for some, the questionable ethics of the plot were impossible to get past.

“Just finished #365Dni & while the sex scenes were great, the story itself just romanticizes kidnapping & a forced relationship,” one viewer wrote. “You basically just watch shawty get Stockholm syndrome.”