John Allman is a rockstar.
Well, he was a rockstar.
Now he’s living in a previously abandoned cliffside home in Cyprus, where he can hardly order groceries without struggling with the language.
Allman has given up. His agent tries to encourage him to make the comeback from his failed comeback, but Allman’s not interested.
Instead, he strives for a quiet, reclusive life on the beautiful Mediterranean island. He can’t quite get that though.
Turns out the house he bought is on a cliff, legendarily known as the suicide hotspot of the world. Not only is he having trouble with that reality, but people are also starting to recognize him, including an old lover.
As Allman pulls people from the cliff’s edge, he struggles with finding his own life’s purpose. Ultimately, he and his loved ones must find a way for Allman to fall in love with life again. And he just might fall in love with a special someone, too.
Allman’s response to finding out his cliffside dwelling is next to the “suicide spot” is very admirable. He is not willing to just accept the reality of people jumping off the cliff. So, he tries to talk people out of it. He also involves authorities and even tries to build a fence to keep people from jumping.
Allman and his old flame, Sia, eventually reignite their romance. Her sister, Koula, is supportive, but also encourages caution.
Despite his own struggles finding purpose and meaning, Allman’s generous spirit shows up in other ways, too. He meets a young singer named Melina, for instance, and he encourages her to further cultivate her skills.
Melina’s grandmother is a wise woman. She mediates conflict between characters and gives blunt advice on relationships and the importance of risk-taking in order to experience the good things in life.
Various elements of the story, as well as lyrics from the title song, wisely emphasize vulnerable reflection on past decisions and present priorities.
The Cyprus natives we meet are religious, attending a liturgical Greek-language church. When Koula finds out about Sia sleeping with Allman, she said she would book her a confession time.
Melina’s grandmother wants to die, saying she’s “packed her bag,” but she feels like God has forgotten about her. She says only God knows how much time she has left. The elderly woman also ridicules a person for looking for answers from a coffee cup “reading.”
Allman’s agent wants to name his comeback album, “Lazarus: Raised from the Dead.”
We hear a lot about Allman’s stereotypical rockstar lifestyle, dating models and surrounded by groupies. His agent calls him a “sex god.” One song of his that we hear a few times is mildly suggestive.
When Allman reconnects with Sia, they kiss, and she stays the night. We see them talk and kiss a few times in bed, apparently unclothed, but under the sheets.
Allman is told there is a private beach where he can “tan naked.” When he decides to do this however, wading out into the ocean (we see his bare chest), a family with children comes to the beach, making the situation a little bit awkward.
Melina wears a few revealing dresses and is catcalled once. A young college-aged woman Allman saves from jumping reveals that she is pregnant, with the father out of the picture.
We see one man fall off the cliff. His body is not shown after the fall, but the presence of the authorities implies that he has died.
A local police officer tells Allman that suicidal people come to the cliff’s edge several times a year, sometimes several times a month. In the end, Allman puts up a sign pointing to his house that reads, “Let’s talk about it.”
The father of the young pregnant woman starts to lash out in rage when he finds out that she is pregnant. Allman stands in the way, ensuing in a shouting and shoving match.
We hear one s-word. We also hear “h—” five times along with a few uses of “b–ch,” “d–n,” and “a–hole.” God’s name is used in vain nine times. Some profanities are spoken in Greek, too.
Allman buys cigarettes, and he almost lights one multiple times. It seems, though, that he is trying to quit smoking. Another character smokes, and we see her mother pull the cigarette from her mouth.
Characters drink socially. Once, Allman drinks so much alone, he falls asleep outside his house.
[Spoiler Warning] Much to Allman’s surprise, he learns that his previous romance with Sia resulted in a child that Sia has been raising on her own.
Sia defends her choice not to tell Allman by saying she didn’t want her daughter to grow up with a father who was surrounded by groupies and more concerned about his success than family sacrifice.
While Allman is upset, he acknowledges his own lifestyle mistakes and seeks to have a relationship with Sia and his daughter.
One character says that stupidity and romance are often confused. I think this movie demonstrates that statement quite effectively.
As its story unfolds, we see Allman and others reflect on their poor decisions, try their best to make new ones, but often struggle along the way.
Allman didn’t sign up for the emotional roller coaster of an unexpected romance when he bought his cliffside home. But it may have been exactly what he needed to heal and move forward from his mistakes and failures.
This TV-14 romcom on Netflix won’t be a good fit for every viewer or family, especially when it comes to younger viewers. This movie definitely has some mature issues and profanity to deal with. Still, for older viewers, it offers some nice reflections about love, life and loving life.
Caleb Gottry is the Plugged In intern for Summer 2024. Caleb studies journalism with a minor in music at Texas Christian University, where he will be a junior in the fall. He loves playing with words, listening to and making music, and spending any spare time with friends or family.
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