The Biggest Fan movie review: This film is basically an assemblage of moments strung together without any narrative flow. Lana, played by Kate del Castillo is mostly a caricature
Still from the film
Cast: Kate del Castillo, Diana Bovio, Gabriel Nuncio
Director: Maria Torres
Rating: 1.5
Runtime: 91 min
This Netflix film follows a disgraced actress Lana Cruz who has been cancelled by Hollywood so she heads back to Mexico to work in a film and prove that she's still a star, but she is not prepared for Polly, her biggest fan and worst nightmare.
Fans have become increasingly important especially with the ever-increasing influence of social media on real life. Celebrities have begun cultivating fans in order to increase their brand value but not all fans are worth it. There are some fans who turn malevolent when crossed and this film has one such fan in the center of it.
This Maria Torres’ directorial, co-written with Enrique Vazquez, tells the story of TV star Lana Cruz, whose Special Crimes show has been running successfully for seven seasons. After a particularly trying day of shooting, Lana ends up inadvertently hitting one of her fans. The video of Lana slapping the fan spreads like wildfire all across social media and news channels. Special Crimes gets canceled, and Lana becomes unemployed.
Almost a year later, Lana’s agent, Carmen, gets her to agree to a film, a period spy drama that will be shot in a small village in Mexico for 40 days, by famed director Aristoteles. There she encounters Polly, who appears dedicated to supporting Lana even when the whole world goes against her. Eventually Polly sees what Lana is truly like when the cameras are off and she begins to question her devotion to her favorite star.
The screenplay brings out how the entertainment industry views on social media. Lana joined showbiz at an early age so she resents her mother for that. Lana and Greta have an estranged relationship. Lana eventually gets in touch with her true self away from the trappings of stardom and Polly thinks she can replace Lana easily.The writers rush through these issues to focus on the fan’s duty to defend the star, and the star’s duty to unquestioningly accept that adoration. That’s what the film wants to convey I guess.
This film is basically an assemblage of moments strung together without any narrative flow. Lana, played by Kate del Castillo is mostly a caricature. But Diana Bovio as Polly, brings nuance and becomes the emotional anchor in a movie devoid of seeping sentiment.
The film tries to explore the relationship between celebrities and fans in this era of social media, but there’s nothing fresh or interesting about the depiction. The plot depends on cliches to take the story forward. Lana’s loss of stardom because of the slap-gate incident doesn’t ring true because of late being notorious and vile pays off better.
This Mexican film is a little confused and employs mechanics that fail to provide depth. The exaggeration, drama, comedy, and sometimes plain silly antics do nothing to increase the entertainment value of the film. The scenes on the set become meaningless and the absence of structure becomes painful to watch.
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