Stream It Or Skip It?

Mango is a typically on-the-nose Netflix movie title. I mean, it’s set primarily in a mango orchard, which has me thinking it should probably be titled Mangoes, but whatever. Am I overthinking it? I’m overthinking it – but definitely thinking it more than anyone at Netflix thought it, considering they tend to just slap generic words on their movies so they’re impossible to Google, and to reflect precisely what the movies are about. Not that this film is even really about a mango, singular or plural – directed by Mehdi Avaz, it’s a Danish vaguely comedic romantic drama playing out mostly in Spain, with a key role filled by Dar Salim, the significantly talented Iraqi actor who made Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant memorable and resonant. And Jebus help me, his bald head reminds me of a mango, so maybe the title isn’t too far off? Yep. Still overthinking it.

MANGO: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

The Gist: The awnings are tight, the entree is tasty, the VIPs are on their way – another project buttoned up for Laerke (Josephine Park), who spearheads the opening of new properties for the Weltzer Group, a Danish hotel conglomerate. She’s good at her job, but sucks at the rest of her life. How much does she suck at the rest of her life? She lets her boss, Joan (Paprika Steen), persuade her to forgo a vacation so she can dive headlong into the next project. Laerke was supposed to go away with her teenage daughter, Agnes (Josephine Hojbjerg), in an attempt to make up for some shitty physically/emotionally/etc. absentee parenting. But now they’re going to Malaga, Spain for a “working vacation,” so Laerke can scope out a property for the next Weltzer property. Well, at least she can pay half-attention to the kid? Is that enough? Hint: It’s not enough. 

Immediately upon being picked up, Agnes silent-treatments her mother. And she deserves it. How much does she deserve it? Agnes got denied entry in an architectural program and her mother didn’t even notice. That’s par for the course, and a quasi-vacation like this puts the ball deep in the rough. Laerke’s marching orders are to persuade the owner of a mango orchard to sell so Weltzer can build. On the plane, Laerke refuses to trade seats with the mother of a toddler who wants to look out the window to ease his anxiety, so not only is Laerke overworked, she’s selfish and inconsiderate and more than a little bit rude. A kind man who overhears the heated exchange agrees to trade seats with the mom and Agnes clamps on her headphones and lets her stupid lousy crappy mother sit in silence.

You know where this is going: As soon as Laerke and Agnes get to the mango orchard, which is gorgeous and nestled in a lovely rugged rural area rife with scenery that all but deep-tissue massages your eyeballs, sure enough, the guy Laerke needs to persuade to sell is the kind man from the plane. That’s Alex (Dar Salim). Initial negotiations are frosty, lined with half-jokes about “mangonade.” Agnes makes fast pals with orchard employee Paula (Sara Jimenez,  Laerke makes some headway with her daughter, because all it takes is a little effort. But it’ll take a lot more effort to convince Alex to sign the paperwork. His connections to the property are weepy-sad and sentimental, of course. But the place is operating in the red, a difficult truth that bubbles in the background as he gives a deeply earnest speech at a party about how everyone who works in the orchard, which is the backbone of the community, is his family. Laerke witnesses this. Maybe she’ll have a change of heart. Maybe she’ll end up smooching the guy. Maybe there’ll be a happily ever after for everyone. But maybe not! No spoilers, amigo!

What Movies Will It Remind You Of?: The last time I heard the word “finca” it was in the silly schtupfest Fall for Me, set in a similar region of Spain. Otherwise, this plot seemed really familiar, and then I realized about 1,000 movies ago I saw 2022’s Toscana, also directed by Avaz, about a Danish guy who goes to Tuscany to sell off his father’s property, only to fall in love with a local woman who points out how shortsighted he is. It seems Avaz may be making variations on a theme.

Performance Worth Watching: Without Salim grounding Mango with his sincerity and conviction, the movie might crumble to dust.

Memorable Dialogue: Alex more aggressively than passively takes a shot at Laerke: “You can take my seat,” Alex says to the mom on the plane. “Then all the kids have their way.” 

Sex and Skin: Just some mediumweight smooching.

Our Take: Mango is one hell of a frustrating screenplay. The situation is predictable, the characters are overly familiar types and the dialogue is flavorless gruel. Yet the first two acts are far more thoughtful and engaging than they rightfully should be thanks to a game and talented cast that elevates the material significantly. There’s just enough wiggle room in the margins for Park to manipulate the Laerke character until she’s reasonable and appealing, the subtext of the performance laced with relatable regret and discontent. She kindles some chemistry with Hojbjerg and Salim, both of whom lean into naturalistic performances. And for an hour, the film works quite well despite itself. I rooted for Laerke’s change of heart, despite it being inevitable as death. 

It’s easy to appreciate a light-to-mediumweight tonally consistent almost-comedy that leans into earnest human drama and never succumbs to the urge to push fully dressed people into pools or put them on runaway ATVs crashing through groves dense with big ripe juicy fruits. Mango is a trifle, but a slightly smarter-than-average one. Again, only for an hour, though, as near-fatally sloppy writing in the third act threatens to torpedo the whole shebang. Sensing a run time that might hit (gasp) 100 minutes or more, the film shifts into hurryup mode, shorthanding plot and character developments like they’re a server trying to upsell platters of jalapeno poppers, and rushing to a bummer of a shallow, pat, hastily sketched-out conclusion. These sweet, sweet mangos leave a bitter aftertaste.

Our Call: Mango is a six-outta-10 perfectly fine barely passable movie thanks to its agreeable performances and pretty scenery. So STREAM IT I guess, because there are far worse things to watch.

John Serba is a freelance writer and film critic based in Grand Rapids, Michigan.