The Five-Star Weekend, adapted by Bekah Brunstetter from Elin Hilderbrand's novel, is the perfect beach watch. The eight-episode series blends schmaltz, melodrama, jokes and genuine feeling in perfect proportions. It is escapist entertainment that follows five female friends unwinding and spilling secrets over a faultlessly curated long weekend in Nantucket, with nothing distressing to disturb the viewer.
A widowed influencer's healing weekend
The weekend is organised by Hollis (Jennifer Garner), a tradwife-inflected culinary influencer who recently lost her husband, Matthew (Josh Hamilton), in a car crash. The accident occurs off screen; after the police arrive, the story cuts to six months later. Hollis's publicist, Chelsea (Vella Lovell), is concerned that her client-friend has not fully recovered from the sudden death. She advises Hollis to pick a friend from each phase of her life and spend three days at her holiday home so she can heal and promote her new cookbook.
The guest list
Among the guests are childhood friend Tatum (Chloë Sevigny), abrasive but good-hearted, waiting for breast biopsy results; college mate Dru-Ann (Regina Hall), a hard-bitten sports agent facing cancellation; Brooke (D'Arcy Carden), a nervy but endearing mother; and Gigi (Gemma Chan), a mysterious British pilot and social media follower. Hollis's daughter Caroline (Harlow Jane), a medical student, also joins. Hollis's first love Jack (Timothy Olyphant) appears, setting the stage for emotional support and sexual reawakening.
Refreshing female focus
While the narrative offers nothing new, it feels refreshing to watch a group of female characters of a certain age given the run of themselves in a story that doesn't require murder or a corpse on the beach. As one reviewer noted, 'The Five-Star Weekend is not a five-star show, but it is the pleasantest three-star time you could wish for.' The series airs on Sky Atlantic and is available on Now in the UK, on Binge in Australia and Peacock in the US.
