Heart-wrenching, sobbing for hours and left ultimately destroyed. Settle in and buckle your seatbelt for an emotional ride as Netflix’s TV show One Day is beautifully heartbreaking.
Each episode of One Day takes place on July 15, from 1988 through 2007, following the story of 22 year olds, Emma Morley (Ambika Mod) and Dexter Mayhew (Leo Woodall). The pair meet for the first time in Edinburgh at their graduation party and instantly connect. Emma has a serious and strongly opinionated mind whereas Dexter is an idle rich kid. Their relationship starts off with the possibility of romance ; however, they decide to stay friends after spending the night together talking. As the years go on, and they grow together, they begin to wonder what would have happened if they had done things differently the first night they met.
The structure of this series is what makes it so intriguing and gives this TV show a new perspective. While it could have been a generic will-they-won’t-they romance story, this unique approach adds suspense and excitement. It was definitely a nice change to watch something that doesn’t follow the typical guidelines. However, it did become confusing at times and I would have liked to have seen more scenes that took place in between each episode on days other than July 15th. Some critics claim that the structure of it was unrealistic and empty, but it shows the undying connection between the two main characters. Despite being away from each other for long periods of time, they still had a strong and long-lasting connection that kept bringing them back to each other. Emma loves Dexter despite his shortcomings and Dexter loves Emma despite her sarcastic attitude and brutally honest demeanor. As the audience, we see and understand Emma’s loyalty to Dexter as well as the potential she sees in him, even if other characters in the show don’t. This is what is so attractive about this show and storyline. It also makes the scenes intimate, which engulfs you from the very start.
The cinematography of this film was beautifully well-done and really captured the moments where you could see Emma and Dexter’s relationship growing. By showing close-up shots of their faces filled with emotion, it transports you into their world and makes you feel like you are experiencing it as well. The camera choices and vibrant color palette of the film, as well as Dexter and Emma’s story, make it feel like an art form.
Comparing the TV show to the original movie, it was much more effective and emotionally gut-wrenching. The director focused a lot on Emma’s character as opposed to the movie where it was focused mainly on Dexter, which made the ending that much more unbearable to watch. Mod’s version of Emma felt more relatable and seen as an everyday person, whereas Anne Hawthaway’s version felt less relatable. The film passed by each year so fast that I couldn’t see the growing and deepening connection between Emma and Dexter, nor the depth each character had to offer on their own. However, in the series, it allowed each episode to delve into the emotions, details and specifics of each scene, which allows for a greater emotional connection to the characters. The movie seems to skip past all the details, which in this type of film, are crucial to help build the storyline. The series left me crying and completely empty for days whereas the movie didn’t even have the slightest impact on me.
This TV show will make you want to scream and shout at your screen, in hopes of trying to change the characters’ minds. The end is gut-wrenching and will ultimately rip your heart out. The dialogue between the characters, especially Emma and Dexter, is intricately woven together and makes the pair’s chemistry palpable. At the beginning of the TV show, I found Emma to be quite annoying and plain mean, and I couldn’t understand her character. However, as the episodes went on, I realized that her character is like a breath of fresh air and different from the typical female protagonist in a romance film, which is attributed to Mod’s performance. Woodall gave Dexter’s character space to become unlikeable while still showing his humanity and capability of becoming better. While this is a fictional TV show, it still has a lasting message and theme that leaves the audience thinking well after the final episode. The series examines the essence of “bad timing” in relationships with the delusion of having infinite time with the people we love. This is something a lot of people can relate to and also teaches us to appreciate the time we have, knowing that it’s not forever.
