With a film version that didn’t live up to the hype of the original novel, Netflix’s adaptation of One Day released just in time to wreck the fans’ hearts all over again, but this time, it’s a good thing. The expanded runtime allowed Netflix to delve more into the moments in the novel, with each episode dedicated to a day in the year in Emma’s and Dexter’s lives, contrasting their respective worlds and opportunities available to them as different members of London society. And the couple is played beautifully by Leo Woodall and Ambika Mod, with a believable chemistry that isn’t formed in a single spark, but made in multiple moments. If you’re needing a good cry just right before Valentine’s Day, One Day is a superb slow burn romance to let those tears out.

Turning the novel into a show rather than another film was an excellent decision. Of course, with the film’s critical response, it makes sense to pivot, but the show’s format works well with the novel’s episodic nature, allowing Woodall and Mod more space to gradually develop their chemistry. With each episode depicting July 15 over a span of several years, One Day captures the unique format that made the novel memorable.