Book Club: The Next Chapter

Directed by Bill Holderman, Book Club: The Next Chapter follows friends Diane (Diane Keaton), Vivian (Jane Fonda), Sharon (Candice Bergen), and Carol (Mary Steenburgen) as they embark on a whirlwind trip to Italy. Filmmaker Holderman, armed with his and Erin Simms’ screenplay, admittedly does an effective job of initially luring the viewer into the proceedings, as Book Club: The Next Chapter kicks off with an appealing opening stretch detailing the protagonists’ COVID-era exploits – with the agreeable atmosphere heightened by the stars’ predictably charismatic efforts. It’s disappointing to note, then, that the picture eventually (and perhaps inevitably) segues into a hit-and-miss, entirely episodic midsection that slowly-but-surely wears out its welcome, with the increasingly arms-length atmosphere perpetuated by a continuing emphasis on jokes and gags of a hopelessly (and aggressively) stale, hackneyed nature. (The relentlessly glossy vibe and complete lack of substance just becomes impossible to stomach beyond a certain point, ultimately.) By the time the padded-out climax rolls around, Book Club: The Next Generation has cemented its place as a seriously lackluster sequel that admittedly falls right in line with its equally unimpressive predecessor.

** out of ****