Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Monday’ On VOD, A Sexy Summer Romance Starring Sebastian Stan

Sebastian Stan is everywhere these days; whether you noticed him long ago during his stint on Gossip Girl, were impressed by his mustachioed turn in I, Tonya, balked at him in ridiculous comedy The Bronze, or simply can’t shake him as Marvel’s Winter Soldier, you’ve likely been introduced to the actor one way or another. His latest flick, Monday, now available on VOD, throws the actor into a steamy, dreamy Greek summer that may make you nostalgic for pre-COVID times (and also see you fall even deeper in love with Stan). 

MONDAY: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

The Gist: When Mickey (Sebastian Stan) and Chloe (Denise Gough) first meet, she’s drinking away her sorrows at a bumping party after being stood up right before she’s returning home to the states, and he’s deejaying a disco-driven set at said party (though if you ask him, it’s not disco!). Mickey’s friend pushes the two together (they’re both Americans! He’s a man! She’s a woman!) and before we know it, the two are waking up naked on a beach. After a brush with the law and failed attempts to find Chloe’s bag, she abandons her plans for the day and heads out to an island with Mickey where he’s set to DJ that evening. And dreamy swims in the sea, dance floor make-outs, and trips around town on a scooter is just how their steamy summer begins.

Mickey and Chloe are immediately at ease with one another, sharing deeper emotional moments when they’re not getting naked. It’s not too difficult for Mickey to change Chloe’s mind about heading back to America, and the two fall into a strange sort of domestic bliss that summer. (Despite the film’s title, we don’t just catch a glimpse of one weekend with the couple, but a series of them). While things between the two of them initially seem pretty perfect, it isn’t long before the honeymoon phase wavers and the two are forced to face more weighty emotional obstacles than either might have anticipated.

What Movies Will It Remind You Of?: Monday‘s dreamy, steamy summer vibes evoke Call Me By Your Name and A Bigger Splash a bit, though the stories are obviously quite different, and its attempt at capturing a romantic moment in time also might bring to mind the Before Sunrise trilogy.

Performance Worth Watching: All the actors turn in really strong performances here, but Stan really makes a case for himself as a romantic leading man here. While Mickey could easily have come off as a smug asshole, he’s utterly charming, totally comfortable in his own skin in a way that makes him equally desirable and occasionally frustrating (just like a romantic leading man should be). With his open shirts and classic sunglasses and ruffled hair, every dazzling smile is a reminder of just how good at this he is (and I’m not just saying this because I might personally have a crush). I want to see this man in a GOOD romantic comedy, stat.

Memorable Dialogue: Monday has some great exchanges, but I loved the humor – and the bigger dramatic implications – of this early exchange between Mickey and Chloe. “Do you ever think, ‘oh, what the fuck am I doing?’ Like what am I actually fucking doing?” says Chloe. “Not really,” replies Mickey. “Never?” she asks. “I mean, sure, but it’s more like, ‘why did I just open the fridge? I know I didn’t really want to.'”

Sex and Skin: Monday wastes no time getting to the good stuff; Mickey and Chloe wake up butt naked on the beach in each other’s arms, later have passionate sex on a different beach, on a ferry, in bed, in the back of a van, and everywhere in between. These two are not afraid to strip down, both physically and emotionally. There’s not much left to the imagination in this steamy Greek summer.

Our Take: Within Monday‘s first 30 seconds, you will likely feel a deep pang for bumping up against sweaty bodies at a house party too loud to hear the person next to you. The way the film captures being on a dreamy, debaucherous vacation is where its real strength lies; it sucks you in immediately, with all its golden tans and sundresses and clinking of beer bottles. Pair that with two leads as bewitching as Stan and Gough, and you’ve got something near magic. Director Argyris Papadimitropoulos really knows how to capture the kind of summer we’re likely all pining for these days, one that seems almost like a fantasy when viewed now.

When Monday leans into this world – the sun-kissed, sexy heat of it all – it’s infatuating. Unfortunately, the film loses steam when it tries to juggle its heavier emotional components. Don’t get me wrong, there’s still strong stuff here, and that’s largely thanks to Stan and Gough’s dynamic performances. They effortlessly play off one another and let sparks fly in one moment, and beautifully carry the weight of life’s more painful moments the next. Monday is really a showcase for these two, and that in itself makes the film worth the watch. (An added bonus? Sebastian Stan chopping onions in snorkel goggles and tighty-whities).

“You don’t regret the things you do, you regret the things you don’t do,” Mickey says early on. And boy, do these two do just about everything – and find themselves with plenty of regrets anyway. Monday does the brave thing and doesn’t shy away from the darker side of these kinds of summer flings that get too serious too quickly, and in doing so, creates a truly effective piece of drama. It may not always be fun to watch unfold, but it’s stronger storytelling than the fluff we’re often fed when it comes to these kinds of love stories. This series of Fridays starts fun and light and steamy and eventually evolves to something more strained and sad and difficult, just as they unavoidably do. There’s something to be said for depicting what happens when the party ends, the hangover that comes after all the partying and passion and hedonism, the Monday that inevitably arrives after what once felt like an endless weekend. Monday succeeds in showing us those metaphorical Fridays and Mondays, the highs and the lows, the sparks and the darkness, and that’s what makes it such a memorable watch.

Our Call: STREAM IT. While Monday drags at points, its immaculate summer vibes and the sparky chemistry between its romantic leads make it more than worth your time.

Jade Budowski is a freelance writer with a knack for ruining punchlines, hogging the mic at karaoke, and thirst-tweeting. Follow her on Twitter: @jadebudowski.

Where to Stream Monday