One True Loves | Film Review

I knew of the book by Taylor Jenkins Reid that this film was based on, so I knew the premise, but as I haven't read the book, I went in relatively blind.

After getting engaged to her best friend (Simu Liu), Emma's (Phillipa Soo) husband (Luke Bracey), thought to be dead for the last 4 years, resurfaces, forcing Emma to make a difficult choice.

I immediately liked the premise after hearing it, but I didn't have much hope for the movie. Thankfully I enjoyed it.

There was believable chemistry between both potential couples, which made it so much easier to be invested in the dilemma. The actors also had great chemistry, which helped.

These were times in the film where I was rooting for one couple over the other, and this changed multiple times as the film continued. For me, this is what makes a successful love triangle story - when there isn't an obvious choice, but also where each choice holds real stakes. 

The story could have ended in multiple ways.

My favourite character was Emma, and I loved seeing the flashbacks of the way her character developed after losing her husband. For me, that was the best part of the film. In fact, I found that I preferred the flashbacks to the present story, which may not be a good thing.

The writing, while good, didn't go as deep or feel as emotional as I wanted it to. This is an emotional story, especially from Emma's point of view, but everything felt very surface-level.

Overall, this film made me want to read the book, which is a sign that it was successful! It wasn't perfect by any means, but I definitely enjoyed it, and still love the premise.

6/10