The One I Love Movie Review (2014)
Working things out with your partner can be heavy business, but if we could all do it in the way they do in The One I Love, therapy would be a whole other ballgame.
Romantic relationships are complicated. You are both human, you make mistakes, and if you’ve committed to spending a life together, it takes real work to navigate the ups and downs.
The One I Love is the story of Ethan and Sophie, a married couple in couple’s counseling, who have been struggling to get their spark back. They have been married for awhile and at some point during the relationship, Ethan cheated. Still, they’ve decided to try to continue on and make this marriage work. When their therapist suggests going on a retreat to a house in the country – a place that is known for turning marriages around for the better – Ethan and Sophie agree. What they find there is bizarre and unlike anything they were expecting.
Before I say anything else – this is not a scary movie. I do not want to go into the details of what they find because that will ruin the movie for you, but I will say that this is not horror or scary. It is peculiar, amusingly-bizarre, and thought-provoking.
The entire movie consists of three cast members – Mark Duplass and Elizabeth Moss (as Ethan and Sophie), with the minor role of the therapist played by Ted Danson. That’s it. I kept thinking, this would have been the perfect movie to film during Covid because of the small cast.
However, The One I Love is definitely interesting and kept me engaged. It makes you think – what do I actually need from my partner so that we can meet in the middle? Have they always been the person I see before me, or are there things that they used to have that I can’t find anymore?
It’s not laugh-out-loud funny, but it is definitely a comedy and has its own kind of charm in a strange and increasingly thriller-like way. Duplass and Moss are great together, and the movie moves along at a good pace, never wasting your time. I was struck by the ending in particular, so I look forward to you coming back here to discuss it with me.
The One I Love is a quirky small film that focuses on a subject that so many of us are familiar with. I am trying to think of some other movie to relate it to, but I’m at a loss. It’s kind of its own curious and entertaining relationship thing, so give it a shot and enjoy!
Runtime: 91 minutes
Motion Picture Rating: R
Languages Spoken In The Film: English
Should You Watch It? Yes, it’s weird fun
Did I Cry? Nope
My Rating: 3.5/5 Stars
Available: Free on Prime Video and Peacock or may be available for free on other streaming platforms
