Our take
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.
What it won
Berlin
1 nom
The story
After spending graduation night together, Emma and Dexter go their separate ways — but their lives remain intertwined.
Elsewhere
"One Day as a limited series leaves a much stronger impression than it ever could have as a film, minting Mod and Woodall’s chemistry, charm, and adaptability."
— Proma Khosla
"Overall, it works. They earn their eventual couplehood, having found their way to a beautiful and exceptional pairing."
— Cristina Escobar
On the night of their graduation, Emma and Dexter meet for the first time, intending to go their separate ways, though the succeeding years prove that fate has other plans.
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.
Whoever thought to cast Leo Woodall and Ambika Mod together… Thank you.
The details
We Are Who We Are
Francesca Manieri & Luca Guadagnino
Rainbow Rishta
Hridaye Nagpal & Jaydeep Sarkar
Fellow Travelers
Ron Nyswaner
George & Tammy
Abe Sylvia
Parade's End
Susanna White
A Nearly Normal Family
Extraordinary Attorney Woo
Moon Ji-won & Yoo In-sik
Daisy Jones & The Six
Michael H. Weber & Scott Neustadter
Who picked it
Isabella Endrinal is a curator at A Good Movie to Watch. She's now free from the corporate night shift. Previous articles have been published in outlets such as NANG Magazine. She's currently catching up on some classic films… if she isn't coping with the fact that the Haikyu anime will end soon.
