The screenplay by Matthiessen and co-writers Martin Pieter Zandvliet and Anders Frithiof August is compelling up until the melodramatic, credulity-straining final act, although the characters, apart from Emma, feel underdeveloped.
What are people saying?
What are critics saying?
Slant Magazine by Diego Semerene
The film unapologetically warns us at every turn that fashion is nothing but a business, fueled by naiveté and rape.
Los Angeles Times by Katie Walsh
Matthiesen offers no easy answers, but The Model paints a decidedly unglamorous picture, while pulling back the curtain on the exploitative realities of the business.
The New York Times by Neil Genzlinger
Mr. Matthiesen seems as if he might have been trying to make an indictment of sexism and exploitation in the fashion world, but if so he doesn’t hit the theme nearly hard enough.
The Playlist by Oktay Ege Kozak
Even as a late night Netflix viewing for fashion aficionados who enjoy a scandalous bit of melodramatic trash, The Model doesn’t offer anything new, interesting, or engaging.
Screen International by Wendy Ide
The descent into melodrama in the final act increases the tension but, in relying on some unexpected actions by several characters, also damages the film’s credibility.