What Happened to Monday?

Science fiction movies are honestly not usually my favorite genre. I find sci-fi films to be a bit too complicated and hard to digest most of the time, but there are always exceptions. I went in to watch this film expecting it to be confusing and complex, and I was pleasantly surprised. It was a simple story that was a very entertaining ride from beginning to end. This movie had a ton to offer for any movie fan.

What Happened to Monday (2017) was directed by Tommy Wirkola and written by Max Botkin and Kerry Williamson. It stars Noomi Rapace, Willem Dafoe and Glenn Close. In the distant future, the overpopulation of the planet has become a worldwide crisis threatening humanity. To fight it, a new law is implemented that families are only allowed one child each. Siblings are taken and cryogenically frozen until a time when the world is safe to populate again.

A woman named Karen Settman dies while giving birth to identical-septuplet sisters. The father is unknown, and their grandfather Terrence (DaFoe) takes them into hiding. He names them each after a day of the week, Monday through Sunday. He trains them to live only one life, the life of Karen Settman (Rapace). Each sister only goes out on her day, and she assumes the role of Karen at all times.

After a 30 year strict code and regiment for survival, the girls are still together in hiding, living their singular life. Then one day things start to go wrong when Monday doesn’t return home at her scheduled time.

Wow, what a movie! The story was incredible and the action was non-stop! Action movies like this are few and far between in my opinion. This was a genuine treat!

Talk about an original concept! When I read the synopsis, I knew this was a movie I had to see. Seven identical twins living one life sounds interesting enough to hold a movie on its own, in my opinion. It wasn’t confusing at all like I expected it to be and could have easily been. The overall issues explored in this movie were very relatable too. I often feel like we are overpopulating our planet and there will be consequences sooner or later.

The acting was nothing less than extraordinary. Willem Dafoe and Glenn Close are both phenomenal, well-seasoned actors who are always brilliant in their craft. This movie was no exception. That being said, the real acting gem in this movie was surprisingly neither of them. It was Noomi Rapace, who played 7 characters. That’s right, she played all seven sisters, each with their own personality and quirks. The work she did in separating the sisters’ personalities and making them all unique was remarkable to watch. To share the screen with such seasoned talent and manage to shine through is quite an achievement.

I would suggest this movie to any film fan, even someone who was not a fan of science fiction. This film is a genuine treat for anyone that has a couple hours to kill.

• This film had a worldwide gross of 27.9 million dollars.
• This movie was released on August 18, 2017. It was produced by Vendome Pictures and distributed by Netflix.
• The film was shot entirely in Romania.
• It was filmed in 94 days.
• Original script by Max Botkin was on the 2010 Blacklist of best unproduced screenplays in Hollywood.
• The title changed to "Seven Sisters" during post-production, but when Netflix bought the film, it was changed back to "What Happened to Monday", it's original title.
• The adult sisters, when not disguised as Karen, can be distinguished by their hair - Sunday has a pony tail, Monday has long wavy hair, Tuesday is a red head, Wednesday has mid-length hair, Thursday has short hair, Friday has a knit hat, and Saturday is a platinum blonde.