Critic Reviews

It cuts the hard stuff about getting older with enough genuine comedy that even the sappy beats go down as easy as one of Hollis's recipes.

Equal parts cozy and cathartic, “The Five Star Weekend” proves women over 40 don’t need thriller throughlines to be interesting. Just living their lives is enough.

A smartly executed adaptation of beach-read queen Elin Hilderbrand’s 2023 hit The Five-Star Weekend and that the shamelessly expository line issues from the irony-immune mouth of a perfectionist baking influencer played by Jennifer Garner.

“Five Star Weekend” creates a chic yet cozy world filled with relatably flawed and likable characters.

After just a few episodes, it’s easy to find yourself caring for these women despite yourself (and the genre trappings of amazing outfits, soft lighting, and a bucolic setting).

Whatever nuance The Five Star Weekend lacks in its world-building compared with Hilderbrand’s novel, it makes up for with the roundedness of these very different women and with the revealing conversations they have about their feelings, fears, and flaws.

Once “The Five-Star Weekend” gets rolling, the momentum fuels arguments that feel like the kind of deep, tough-because-they’re-true reckonings you only get with long-term ties.

[Its] star-studded cast helps elevate a story that, in spirit if not specifics, has been seen before.

Despite some flaws, The Five Star Weekend is an excellent little tonic of a TV show, lifted up by its refreshing groundedness and packed with characters and performances you won't mind spending a few long summer days with.

The Five Star Weekend clearly has the right ingredients, whether it’s a solid cast or directors like Jennifer Morrison and Minkie Spiro—the female gaze enhances this material! However, the show’s interest in schmaltz over soul searching makes it less profound than it aims to be. Still, it’s escapism at its best.