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Netflix's Italian language summer romance flick Under the Amalfi Sun, or Sotto il Sole do Amalfi, is a sequel to the 2020 film Under the Riccione Sun.
Directed by Martina Pastori and written by Caterina Salvadori, Enrico Vanzina and Ciro Zecca, the film was released on the streaming platform on July 13, 2022.
The sequel sees Lorenzo Zurzolo, Davide Calgaro, Ludovica Martino, Isabella Ferrari and Luca Ward reprising their respective roles. New additions to the cast include Kyshan Wilson, Nicolas Maupas, Elena Funari, Raz Degan and Andrea Occhipinti.
Under the Amalfi Sun made for a seemingly unnecessary sequel to Under the Riccione Sun. It centered around Vincenzo and Camilla's romance a year after they met and fell in love.
The previous film ended up being a breezy, one-time watch, nothing too revolutionary. However, the sequel does not only feel stretched and forced but also pointless.
Not to mention, the only thing worth watching in the film was the picturesque landscape of the Amalfi coast and the shades of blue and green that made for the film's aesthetics. Viewers can easily find all that in a travel montage for the exquisite coastline of southern Italy.
Under the Amalfi Sun: A stretched and uninspiring plot that falls flat
Unlike its prequel, Under the Amalfi Sun has a smaller cast and a shorter runtime. However, it still feels tedious and is like something that could have been an advertisement rather than a film: an advertisement for Amalfi coast tourism.
The plot of the sequel follows Vincenzo (Zurzolo) and Camilla (Martino) a year after they got into a relationship. This time, they decided to vacation on the Amalfi coast. The vacation will put their relationship to the ultimate test, the results of which will decide whether they have a future together.
Aside from the lovebirds, the film also features Nathalie (Kyshan Wilson), Camilla's friend from Canada, who agreed to accompany her to explore Italian culture and meet Italian people. Accompanying Vincenzo on vacation this time is not his mother but Furio (Calgaro), who viewers might remember from the previous film.
A few minutes into the film, another handsome friend of Vincenzo's joins the group. Hans (Nicolas Maupas) and Nathalie immediately form a connection that goes through highs and lows throughout the film. Theirs was an arc that still had some substance to it, as did Nathalie and Furio's developing friendship.
The plot of the film feels like a two-parter, with one part focusing on Vincenzo and Camilla, who thankfully do not get much screentime, considering there really wasn't much to explore there. Hence, the pointlessness of the sequel.
The second part of the plot focuses on Nathalie, Furio and Hans, who have their own things going, entirely disjointed from the rest of the plot.
The plot attempted to draw parallels between Vincenzo and Camilla's relationship and Irene (Ferrari) and Lucio's (Luca Ward). We're not sure what the point was, but ultimately, Lucio managed to give some fatherly lesson to Vincenzo, which his biological father (Andrea Occhipinti) failed to do.
The film ended on a happy note, with everyone being content in their existing relationships. Meanwhile, Nathalie and Hans managed to create some sparks of their own. Furio, too, found someone to love.
Overall, the film had all the elements of a rom-com, but it was all poorly portrayed. The drama, the romance, the comedy; none of it landed properly. It simply felt like the writers were trying to make something out of nothing in this sequel. It's probably best that romcoms don't show what happens after the boy and the girl get together.
Under the Amalfi Sun's breathtaking cinematography will have viewers saving up for their next vacation
Under the Amalfi Sun made up for its shortcomings by providing a scenic view of the Amalfi coast. It had picturesque seaside towns, nightlife on lovely beaches and morning cycle rides through beauteous alleys.
If there is a takeaway from this unnecessary sequel, it's that your next vacation has to be on the Amalfi coast. The blue and green hues worn by the actors also added to the charm of the idyllic setting in which the sequel was filmed.
Other than that, viewers can skip the film unless they like Under the Riccione Sun and want to follow up on Vincenzo and Camilla's romance.
Under the Amalfi Sun was released on Netflix on July 13, 2022, and is now available to watch.
