Under the Amalfi Sun review: A pointless sequel with a number of undesirable subplots

1.5/5

Story: Vincenzo and Camilla have been in a long distance relationship since the first movie and meet after one year in Amalfi. They are joined by Furio and Vincenzo’s mother, who just can’t give him a break. What was meant to be a vacation to treasure, could end up being a disastrous one. 

Review: Netflix released Under the Riccione Sun back in 2020, and the movie was a coming of age romance about some teens who meet up in Riccione during one summer. The movie, though was nothing special, was still a passable teen romance. Now, Netflix has given it a sequel titled Under the Amalfi Sun, and it is a bare minimum movie that is best avoided. 

Under the Amalfi Sun starts off with Vincenzo and Camilla meeting up in Amalfi after a year since their time in Riccione. The two have been in a long distance relationship and are excited and nervous about meeting each other again. They are accompanied by Furio and Nathalie, their best friends. While Vincenzo wants to take the relationship forward, Camilla has news that she wants to tell him, which could mean that the two will have to remain distant for another year.

While the first movie was about teens exploring a summer, the sequel has a whole lot of drama about it. So much so, that one starts feeling that most of it is being forced. While the two main characters have to deal with their relationship and try and stop it from running aground, everyone around them deals with the same issue. Nathalie for example is a girl who is concerned about her body and is insecure about romance. We meet one of Vincenzo’s oldest friends, who we learn is also insecure about romance. Vincenzo’s overbearing mother is still with Lucio, and the two of them also have to try and salvage their relationship from coming to an end. 

At one point, we feel that there is one subplot after the other that just pops up out of nowhere, all of which just feel pointless and unnecessary. We also get to see Vincenzo’s biological father appear out of nowhere and unknowingly ruin Luzio’s plans for a proposal. There is a line where the mother tells her ex-husband about how he pops out of nowhere and ruins everything- I just have to ask her to cut him some slack because it’s just poor writing more than anything. 

Most of the movie is about the characters trying to find a handle on their lives and its issues, drawing away some of the best elements that made the original movie a one time watch. But as is the law, everyone gets everything they want and the movie ends on a high note. But one still has to hope that Netflix doesn’t try and make it a trilogy because it feels like they are running out of ideas at this point. 

There are not a lot of things that work well for the romantic drama, but the Amalfi setting is just brilliant. It is one of those locations where you feel all you have to do is place a camera and let it do the talking. Netflix released a French adaptation of Dangerous Liaisons last week, which was also set in a pristine coastal town. The beautiful beach setting saving the story is the one thing both the movies have in common. 

As far as acting goes, there is not a lot that is asked of these actors by the screenplay. They could pretend to be the ‘golden crab’ shown in the movie, and one still couldn’t notice a difference. Apart from the cinematography and the visually pleasing locales and brief tour along the reefs, there are not a lot of plus points in Under the Amalfi Sun. 

Review: Under the Amalfi Sun is a sequel that really shouldn’t have been made. It also has pointless details and subplots which really do no justice to any of its characters. Most of it feels like it was written on a whim and this takes away any real life from the movie. A lousy sequel to a mediocre original.