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‘One Day’ is the new Netflix show that will warm your heart, only to rip it from you in the last couple of episodes. The friends-to-lovers trope that is guaranteed to break your heart. Now, is the show really worth all of your tears? Truth is, if you ever wanted to care about characters enough to grieve them and cry so much it gives you a migraine, this show might just be worth all of it.
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The stakes
There have been many mixed reviews about the show since its release in February of 2024. It appears that people either really loved it or they really hated it. But the one thing they all had in common was that each one had to go through the pain and the tears in order to finish the show. Reviews came in and plenty declared that the show is NOT worth the suffering it causes. Now so many people seem to have their reservations about giving the show a chance. So, should you give it a chance?
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The journey
‘One Day’ tells the story of Emma Morley (Ambika Mod) and Dexter Mayhew (Leo Woodall) in the span of 19 years, except we only get to see them once a year at the anniversary of their first meeting: the 15th of July. The 14 half-hour episodes are more than enough to get you completely invested and make you fall deeply in love with these characters and their story.
We start the day after their college graduation in 1988 and end almost two decades later in 2007. We witness them grow up together over the years as we see them go through young adulthood with new graduate struggles, loss, career changes, disagreements, different relationships, grief, rock bottom, odd jobs, success, addiction problems, and (most importantly) their love story. They really take us for a ride.
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The book, the film and the show
This show had major shoes to fill between the novel and the film and not only did they succeed in filling them, they wore them graciously. Each episode was carefully crafted to move the story along and develop its characters. Even though some may think certain episodes and some scenes feel like fillers, they all play a big part in progressing the story. Not a moment is wasted. Nicholls is an executive producer of the show and appears to have collaborated with show’s creator and lead writer (Nicole Taylor) for the making of the project, and it shows. The art and music departments did a fantastic job in taking us back to each decade, making us all feel extremely nostalgic. The soundtrack in the last episode is so immersive it is impossible not to make you emotional. Everything about the show, every detail is just so outstanding, even the secondary and minor characters get a chance to shine.
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The Em and Dex we deserve
The casting is just magnificent and it is impossible to mention casting and not acknowledge the two phenomenal actors who bring Em (Ambika Mod) and Dex (Leo Woodall) to life. Casting director, Rachel Sheridan, did an extraordinary job in discovering such incredible actors. Some may know Ambika Mod from her minor roles, such as Shruti Acharya in ‘This Is Going To Hurt’, but she simply excels in her very first lead role of Emma Morley. She masters Em’s witty attitude already established in the book, as well as her utterly relatable awkwardness. She is the Em the book lovers connect with and love. And we love her until the end. Leo Woodall plays Jack (aka “Quentin’s nephew”) in the second season of Mike White’s ‘The White Lotus’ on Max, the role that put him on the map. To have seen him as the bill-ditcher playboy and “the nephew” in ‘The White Lotus’ and then as the privileged yet extremely charming Dexter Mayhew in ‘One Day’ is merely a testament to the brilliant actor Woodall is. His ability to channel his emotions so effortlessly as Dexter is quite remarkable. Woodall brings book Dex’s endless charisma and his ‘brokenness’ to life. The way the writers dealt with and how Woodall portrayed Dex’s addiction and mental health struggles was most graceful. We fall in love with Dexter, we get mad at him and then we forgive him a thousand times, loving him through it all. Seeing Mod’s and Woodall’s exceptional (some might even say Emmy worthy) performances will move you and make you excited for their brilliant careers ahead of them.
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Now, should you give ‘One Day’ a chance? There is no correct or exact answer to that question. Each person should be the judge of what they can (or can’t) and are willing (or not) to take. Some people love the thrill of a jump scare, others cannot bear getting frightened. Some seek the comfort of a romantic comedy, others may find them cheesy and predictably boring. Some prefer comedy to drama. Some wish to watch something that will take them out of the real world and distract them from it, others might be more fond to see stories based on real life that will ground them even more into reality. It’s a matter of preference and choice. Having experienced reading the book, watching the Lone Scherfig’s film and seeing this show, I can confidently say that I do not regret watching the show. In fact, I loved it so much I came back for seconds and even thirds. ‘One Day’ really takes us for a ride. A very wholesome, yet heart-wrenching one. Although the journey hurt, – Oh, how it hurt! – The joy of meeting and getting to know Em and Dex surpasses any moment of devastation I felt with this show. Seeing each character develop and witnessing them grow up – together, then apart, then together again – just to be utterly crushed later was truly worth it. Every tear and every laugh was worth it. It was an absolute privilege to be hurt by Emma Morley and Dexter Mayhew and their love story. ‘One Day’ is that ride you are scared to go on at an amusement park. You go on it and you hate it but as soon as you are off, you want to immediately take it again and again.
Cast: Leo Woodall, Ambika Mod
Cinematography: Nick Cooke, Ollie Downey, Álvaro Gutiérrez, Jonas Mortensen | Editor: Mike Jones, Julian Ulrichs, Julian Ulrichs, Robin Peters, Frank Frumento
Director: Molly Manners, Luke Snellin, John Hardwick, Kate Hewitt | Writer: David Nicholls, Nicole Taylor, Mollie Goodfellow, Bijan Sheibani, Anna Jordan, Vinay Patel | Producers: Roanna Benn, Andrew Chapman, Jude Liknaitzky, David Nicholls, Nicole Taylor, Nige Watson, Camilla Wren, Molly Manners, Raphaël Benoliel, Kostas Raftopoulos, Nicola Rosada, Matthieu Rubin
By Julia Maia
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