SummaryEmma Morley (Ambika Mod) and Dexter Mayhew (Leo Woodall) first met on their graduation day in 1988 and each year they meet up on the same day in this adaptation of David Nicholls' novel (which was previously made into the 2011 film of the same name).
SummaryEmma Morley (Ambika Mod) and Dexter Mayhew (Leo Woodall) first met on their graduation day in 1988 and each year they meet up on the same day in this adaptation of David Nicholls' novel (which was previously made into the 2011 film of the same name).
What I like most about this exquisitely judged series, aside from the two leading performances and a supporting cast that includes Tim McInnerny, Amber Grappy and Eleanor Tomlinson, is the light-touch storytelling.
It is a will-they-or-won’t-they rom-com? Is it a friendship story? Is it a saga about moving into adulthood and figuring out your life and your priorities and enduring heartbreak and loss? Will it make you cry? Yes, it’s all of those things, and it manages to capture all the muddled, complicated, aching emotions of them all.
While you may need a suspension of disbelief, the show sails past those awkward continuity elements because the writing and the two main actors have such a command of the central relationship. The show also expertly captures the mood and wayward feeling of young adulthood sliding into just plain adulthood.
The series spans nearly two decades over 14 meandering episodes, before tripping over one last iffy twist on its way out. But the spark between Emma and Dexter burns bright enough throughout to make the ride more enjoyable than not.
But ultimately, Netflix's One Day lacks the charm of Nicholls's One Day. Despite chunks of dialogue being lifted from the source material, the author's voice is lost and with it, its brilliance.