Netflix: There are 14 episodes of this heartwarming series and we wish there were more!

What is it about?

Emma Morley and Dexter Mayhew met on their college graduation day, July 15, 1988. They will grow up, become close and apart, experience joy and sorrow together.

who is he with

Following Lon Scherfig’s big screen adaptation with Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess, the novel What? Carried by David Nichols once again, this time in this series. Two talents unknown to the general public were chosen to play the two title roles of Emma and Baxter in one day.

Thus, Ambika Modi, seen in This Is Going To Hurt, and Leo Woodall, seen in Season 2 of The White Lotus, play a fresh and refreshing version of this quintessential romantic duo that deserves even more recognition.

Is it worth checking out?

A series of remakes of works that have already been adapted into films seem to be setting the tone for the small screen as the year begins. After the new (successful!) version of Mr & Mrs Smith, it’s the bestseller’s turn What? will be revived by David Nicholls, thirteen years after Lon Scherfig’s first film adaptation with Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess.

If this funny, charming and melancholic drama has unfortunately fallen by the wayside – except for seasoned fans of difficult romances – a new Netflix adaptation will be able to shed light on this dazzling romance between Dexter Mayhew and Emma Morley (or Dex). and Em for close friends).

Because the story between Dexter and Emma isn’t just a silly joke. After first meeting on a university graduation night in Edinburgh on 15th July 1988, Dexter and Emma are forever linked by the strangeness of life and this symbolic date of St. Swithin’s Day.

In British folklore, this day, named after Bishop Swithin of Winchester, is an important turning point. A popular belief is that if it rains on St. Sweetin’s Day, it will rain for 40 days, but if it is sunny, 40 days of good weather will follow.

And the weather, whether it’s good or bad, past or present, is one of the main elements of Dexter and Emma’s story, which we’ve been following for nearly twenty years, on the same day each time.

Based on their friendship-love, One Day plays with tones and genres by portraying English society across several decades, recounting the suffering, illusions and anxieties of a new generation, while maintaining its comedic demeanor.

A formula that works better

With such a basic material, the series team had all the cards in hand to turn a rough diamond into a gem. And that’s exactly what this new iteration of Un Jour is all about.

The serialized format was the perfect storytelling mode for this extraordinary novel, which you can enjoy by binge-watching all 14 episodes or spacing out your binge-watching sessions.

Each episode tells the year, the tone, the state of mind, the mentality, the joys, the sorrows, the trials, the successes, the disappointments for Dexter and Emma, ​​and it does so with authenticity, wry humor, and humanity without ever falling flat. In stupidity, vulgarity or darkness.

A follow-up to another major serial success – Normal People to name a few – One Day manages to bring the emotional intelligence and narrative power of its original material to the screen, with attention to precious detail, well thought out. Flashbacks and brilliant temporal connections.

This format allows us to give more depth to this couple, even if it exactly repeats key points from the book and movie, but after more hours of sinking our teeth into them, we’re even more attached to them. And for those who already know the story, the outcome is even more heartbreaking, even when we already know what’s coming.

In addition to the brilliant script, One Day clearly relies on its lead acting duo of Leo Woodall and Ambika Mode, who carry their freshness, humor, charm and sensitivity with such ease and sincerity that it’s hard to believe. They are only at the beginning of their careers.

Of course, secondary roles, also more fleshed out than in the film, are not missed thanks to exquisite actors such as Essie Davis (Matrix Reloaded, Girl with a Pearl Earring, Nitram), Tim McInner (Love at First Sight). Notting Hill, The Serpent), Amber Grape (The Child), Jonny Weldon (Dragon House) and Eleanor Tomlinson (Poldark, A Glimpse).

In short, One Day is a successful new adaptation that will bring you from laughter to tears, offer a mirror as needed, and most importantly, make you feel more alive than ever to the beat of a cleverly chosen soundtrack. .

The series One Day is available on Netflix.