Netflix’s polarizing hit 365 Days (365 dni) pushed the limits of what an erotic thriller can be on streaming. Mixing sensuality, power, and psychological tension, the Polish film, touted as the Polish 50 Shades of Grey, ignited debates about desire, control, and toxic romance while building a massive global audience. Love it or loathe it, this is one of those films that took over the platform and the pop conversation alike.
Below we unpack the plot, cast, critical reception, and streaming details. Here is everything you need to know about 365 Days — from its story and characters to where to watch. The trailer is at the bottom of the article.
► For more titles like this, explore our guide to the steamiest movies on Netflix.
365 Days – All the key details
- Title: 365 Days
- Original title: 365 dni
- Format: Film
- Length: 114 minutes
- Genre: Erotic thriller, romance
- Country of production: Poland
- Original language: Polish, Italian, English
- Release date: February 7, 2020
- Directors: Barbara Białowąs, Tomasz Mandes
- Lead cast: Michele Morrone, Anna-Maria Sieklucka, Bronisław Wrocławski, Magdalena Lamparska
- Produced by: Ekipa, Future Space
- Followed by two sequels — 365 Days: This Day (2022) and The Next 365 Days (2022) — both available on Netflix and continuing Laura and Massimo’s turbulent story.
What 365 Days is about
365 Days follows Laura Biel, a successful Polish sales director whose life takes a sharp turn during a getaway in Sicily. There she is abducted by Massimo Torricelli, a dominant mafia boss who gives her 365 days to fall in love with him. What unfolds is a hypnotic mix of power dynamics, obsession, and seduction that blurs the line between fantasy and danger.
Set against sun-drenched Mediterranean backdrops, the film leans into glossy melodrama and explicit intimacy. It explores how desire and control can intertwine, creating a story that is as provocative as it is divisive — a quality that helped it trend across Netflix in multiple countries and cement its status among steamy streaming films.
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The 365 Days trilogy
Following the success of the first film in 2020, Netflix produced two sequels — 365 Days: This Day and The Next 365 Days — both released in 2022 and filmed back-to-back in Poland and Italy. The trilogy follows the turbulent relationship between Laura and Massimo, expanding into themes of power, betrayal, and desire while introducing new characters such as Nacho, who adds another layer to the story’s conflicts. With its mix of glamour, crime, and erotic tension, the series became one of Netflix’s most talked-about European productions, dividing audiences and critics alike.
The 365 Days trilogy quickly became one of Netflix’s most-watched international franchises, reaching the platform’s Top 10 charts in dozens of countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, and Italy. Its explicit scenes and portrayal of power dynamics sparked intense debate, with critics denouncing it as exploitative while many viewers embraced it as escapist entertainment. Despite low critical scores, the films drew massive streaming numbers and generated a strong social media following, particularly for the chemistry between Michele Morrone and Anna-Maria Sieklucka. The controversy only amplified the trilogy’s visibility, turning it into a global pop-culture phenomenon.
365 Days: the main characters of the saga
Anna-Maria Sieklucka plays Laura Biel, a young woman from Warsaw whose life changes dramatically after crossing paths with a Sicilian Mafia boss. In the sequels, Laura becomes Massimo’s wife and faces new conflicts as she adapts to power, wealth, and danger.
Michele Morrone stars as Don Massimo Torricelli, head of the Torricelli crime family. The Italian actor and musician rose to international fame with this role and performs several songs on the film’s soundtrack, including “Feel It” and “Watch Me Burn.” Morrone previously appeared in the Italian drama L’Ultimo Giorno del Toro and in various TV series before joining the 365 Days franchise.
The saga continues in the two sequels with the introduction of Simone Susinna in 365 Days: This Day as Nacho, a mysterious rival who deepens the triangle and tests Laura’s loyalties, adding fresh tension to the franchise’s power-and-passion formula.
Natasza Urbańska appears as Anna, Massimo’s former lover who reemerges to disrupt his marriage to Laura. A well-known performer in Poland, Urbańska is also a singer and dancer and previously appeared briefly in the first film before taking on a larger role in the sequels. She is recognized nationally for her appearances on Dancing with the Stars Poland, where she achieved one of the highest scores in the show’s history.
Is 365 Days based on a true story?
No. The 365 Days saga is based on the bestselling erotic novels by Blanka Lipińska, a provocative Polish trilogy consisting of 365 dni, Ten dzień, and Kolejne 365 dni. While not drawn from real events, the author has noted that the material channels fantasies around seduction and control. Lipińska co-wrote the screenplay and makes a brief cameo.
The controversy surrounding 365 Days
The release of 365 Days generated intense backlash and public debate. The film was criticized for its depiction of sexual power dynamics, with many viewers and advocacy groups arguing that it glamorizes abuse and romanticizes kidnapping. Although the movie does not depict rape scenes directly, its storyline frames coercion and violence within an eroticized, luxurious setting, which many saw as deeply problematic.
In 2020, British singer Duffy, who had publicly shared her own experience of kidnapping and sexual assault, wrote an open letter to Netflix CEO Reed Hastings, urging the platform to remove the film. In her message, published by The Guardian, Duffy accused the streaming giant of “eroticizing kidnapping and distorting sexual violence and trafficking as a ‘sexy’ movie,” calling it “careless, insensitive, and dangerous.” She argued that 365 Days “glamorizes the brutal reality of sex trafficking, kidnapping and rape,” and urged Netflix to promote “narratives of truth and hope” instead.
Despite the backlash and a 0% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes, the film remained available on Netflix, where it continued to attract millions of views. The platform did not remove the title but emphasized that its catalog represents a broad range of creative works and genres, leaving viewers free to make their own viewing choices. The controversy ultimately amplified the film’s visibility, turning 365 Days into one of Netflix’s most polarizing global phenomena.
Where was 365 Days filmed?
The production filmed across Poland and Italy, pairing urban settings with coastal vistas to heighten the story’s lush, sensual atmosphere.
Why watch 365 Days
If you enjoyed Fifty Shades of Grey or No Limit, this is the right film for you — blending erotic romance with crime-tinted melodrama and the glossy excess of a modern European film. Come for the controversy, stay for the chemistry.
365 Days release date on streaming
Available now. 365 Days is already streaming on Netflix, where it helped spark one of the platform’s most talked-about trilogies. Release date: February 7, 2020. Watch on Netflix.
