‘One Day’ Review: Beautifully Tender Angst

“What are days for? Days are where we live. They come, they wake us, time and time over. They are to be happy in. Where can we live but days?”

A limited series adaptation of a 2009 novel, which was previously adapted into an averagely successful 2011 film, wouldn’t sound like the most exciting story on paper. However, the Netflix show “One Day” proves expectations wrong. Based on the novel of the same name by David Nicholls, the streaming adaptation of “One Day” follows the friendship and love story of Emma (Ambika Mod) and Dexter (Leo Woodall) over the course of almost two decades. Led by two charming performances, “One Day” breathes new life into the romantic comedy genre, providing a touching watching experience.

“One Day” consists of fourteen episodes, spanning from 1988, the date Emma and Dexter meet for the first time, to 2007. Besides the two last episodes, which make multiple-year jumps, the other twelve only focus on one year at a time, following from the beginning of Emma and Dexter’s love and their intertwined storylines. The episode format is engaging, as the audience can grow alongside the characters and feel the importance of Emma and Dexter’s relationship. At just under seven hours, “One Day” is the perfect bingeable show.

While common narrative techniques advise that showing is better than telling, “One Day” flips this advice on its head, sacrificing action for detailed character study. The series doesn’t show many big plot points or characters’ immediate reactions to them, but rather focuses on their lingering emotional effects. As such, the audience feels everything the same way as the protagonists do, becoming further attached to the duo.

The show’s success can be attributed to its two leading performances. Mod and Woodall’s acting is fresh and electric, and the two come across as veterans of the rom-com genre. The chemistry between them is full of longing and tenderness, which makes watching their journey all the more enthralling.

Compared to the movie, the series format allows “One Day” to spend more time developing its characters. Another welcome change from the book is the casting of Ambika Mod, a British actress of Indian ancestry, whose self-deprecating humor and underlying vulnerability make her an important core of the series. Because of the lack of representation of women of color in the genre, Mod herself has talked in an interview about the doubt she experienced about her lead role before the show began filming. While the show doesn’t heap extra focus on Emma’s background and family, the casting still remains an integral aspect of the series.

The script balances passion with witty humor and banter in a fresh and exciting manner. “One Day” is perfect for fans of other British rom-coms such as “Notting Hill” and “About Time.” One cast member of “Notting Hill,” Tim McInnerny, even stars in “One Day” as Dexter’s father. The series also has a nostalgic quality, enhanced by its focus on the ’90s, that may automatically increase its appeal for many.

Another highlight of “One Day” is the soundtrack. The songs in each episode are carefully placed, corresponding harmoniously to the storyline and characters’ emotions. The lyrics tend to voice what the characters cannot, such as when “Iceblink Luck” by the Cocteau Twins plays at the end of the third episode. The line “I think you’re in her heart” plays as the camera lingers on Dexter after he and Emma painfully part once more without expressing their true feelings.

The series’s filming and cinematography also highlights Emma and Dexter’s connection. One standout is the prominent eye contact between the two love interests, which makes the impossibility yet inevitability of their romantic relationship even more palpable.

“One Day” is refreshing because it takes itself seriously. While many consider the rom-com genre dead, the show proves to be an exciting addition. By mixing in heavier topics such as personal growth, public pressure, and the death of a parent with the ongoing thread of loving and longing, “One Day” presents a new example of what a romantic comedy can be. By the end of the series, the viewer will be wishing to start it over again, to spend a bit more time with the charming Emma and Dexter.

—Staff writer Erlisa Demneri can be reached at erlisa.demneri@thecrimson.com.