A Week Away

Will, with one last chance before juvenile detention, is sent to a Christian summer camp. There he hides who he is, falls for a girl and sings. The film is not interested in arguing about faith. It is interested in being accepted: the hero's fear is that his past will come out, and the film does not punish him for it. The result is a story of reconciliation aimed at teenagers. The form is a full musical: choreography, crowded dance numbers and songs from the contemporary Christian pop repertoire. The structure follows the known shapes of the camp musical almost exactly. Netflix made this for streaming and aimed at territory the genre had not tried: a youth musical built on Christian pop. Roman White directed; he comes from music video and the visual language follows from that. Bailee Madison and Kevin Quinn star. Who it is for: viewers who like teen musicals and faith-themed family films. Who it is not for: anyone wanting conflict. The story is predictable and the film takes no risks in any scene.