A married couple is facing a crisis in their relationship, and following their therapist’s advice, they head to a secluded getaway in the hopes of recapturing their love. Sound familiar? That’s the basic premise of director Charlie McDowell’s The One I Love, but the film is much more than just what that fairly prosaic description implies. However, to spoil any more here would ruin the fun, especially considering how well the film’s marketing campaign has kept a degree of secrecy around its plot.
Mark Duplass (Safety Not Guaranteed) and Elizabeth Moss (Mad Men) star as Ethan and Sophie, the aforementioned couple, and if The One I Love possesses a standout element to it, these two lead performances are certainly it. Duplass and Moss commit to multi-faceted portraits of their onscreen alter egos, feeding the film’s true ambition as a study not just on these two characters but on the dynamic that they share.
The journey they face throughout the film manages to challenge this bond in increasingly interesting and plausible ways, despite the bizarre situation Ethan and Sophie find themselves in. Moreover, the film mines the setup at hand for all its juicy thematic implications, touching on such accessible themes as trust, fidelity, compatibility and the fickle nature of love. Admittedly, The One I Love relies a bit too heavily on the element of surprise to impress viewers – much like 2012 meta-horror film Cabin in the Woods – but it features enough twists and turns throughout its brisk 91-minute running time to justify repeat viewings.
Unfortunately, its thematic thrust does get a bit muddled in the third act. It’s almost as if the filmmakers felt compelled to clarify the film’s plot, ultimately to its relative detriment. Viewers are guaranteed to come away from the film with lingering questions, but while provoking a reaction from audiences is often a sign of quality storytelling, the film goes out of its way to raise issues that would have otherwise felt more organic and thought-provoking if they had been left inexplicable. Imagine a magic show where the magician performs impressive feats onstage only to deflate this sense of awe by revealing all his tricks.
Regardless, The One I Love deftly balances a dry comedic tone with its myriad other elements and is worth seeing for the ambitious spirit the cast and crew bring to this low-budget production. Anyone who has been in a long-term relationship will surely relate to the questions it brings up, and fans of Duplass and Moss will be pleased with their onscreen chemistry. The film may not work for moviegoers expecting laugh-out-loud humor or high-octane thrills, but The One I Love is probably one of the most thought-provoking takes on modern relationships to hit theaters in years.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
The One I Love stars Mark Duplass, Elizabeth Moss and Ted Danson. It is directed by Charlie McDowell and is now available in limited theatrical release as well as video-on-demand services.