Netflix’s One Day TV series features a story of a working-class girl Emma Morley (Ambika Mod) from Leeds and rich casanova Dexter Mayhew (Leo Woodall), whose relationship kicks off with a platonic night together in the former’s apartment. The duo decide to stay friends, and the story takes us through their lives over the next 20 years, highlighting the events of one particular day — the 15th of July. We see them navigate life after college, career bumps, tumultuous relationships, and their will-they-won’t-they equation.
The One Day movie starring Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess was released in 2011, and the story has seamlessly stood the test of time. We thought it couldn’t get any better, but it did. The TV series recently made is an entirely fresh revamp we didn’t know it needed. It got deeper, quirkier, and just that much sadder. While the movie is a favorite of many, the series holds up infinitely better. Let’s discover why as we delve deeper into the instances that make the 2024 series better than the classic movie.
The Longer Run Time of TV Show Does More Justice to The Storyline
While the One Day movie will always have a special place in our hearts, the longer format of the TV series gives us a deeper, more nuanced view of the relationship between Dex and Emma. Each episode covering every passing year on St. Swithin’s Day enables viewers to understand the choices made by the characters better — which previously left them agitated in the movie. We also get to witness the immense character development of both characters (especially Dex), which makes him seem like less of a douche in the series. Side characters like Tilly (Amber Grappy), Emma’s boyfriend Ian (Jonny Weldon), and Sylvie (Eleanor Tomlinson) have more significant roles in the series, making the plot endearing.
Many gaps in the movie are filled in the series, and any previous questions or confusion that arose were cleared. The One Day movie also felt like a rushed montage of the years rather than telling an actual story, almost like flipping through a book without actually understanding it. Naturally, we also felt the impact of Emma’s death way harder because of the longer time we spent watching her grow in the series. If Emma’s death in the movie was a light tap on the shoulder, in the series, it hits you like a bullet train.
Ambika Mod’s Emma is More Relatable than that of Hathaway’s
If Dex is the plot of One Day, Emma is the soul — she is the make-or-break character, therefore deeming it vital to cast her right. While we all love and admire Anne Hathaway, what Ambika Mod did to Emma’s character is in a league of its own. Mod brings a down-to-earth realness to Emma with a more authentic Yorkshire accent — Hathaway’s left us cringing ever so slightly. The casting of a brown woman also brings much-needed diversity into an otherwise bleak narrative. In the series, Emma is headstrong about her views, and even though she harbors feelings for Dex, she doesn’t let herself become a sad pushover.
Additionally, Hathaway’s Emma used to come across as slightly needy and just a tad bit pathetic, while Mod brings an air of blunt realness without being cynical. In the One Day movie, Emma is always putty in the palm of Dexter’s hand, but we see her constantly sticking it to him with an aura of intellect in the series. She was very sure of her decisions, with only her soft corner for Dex proving to be her sole weakness towards him. Emma’s career growth was also extremely long-drawn and satisfactory, which viewers particularly enjoyed.
Emma and Dexter’s Different Dynamics Lead to Deeper On-Screen Chemistry
“I’m not being a footnote” — it’s a line from the novel that might have become the flagbearer of ending all the situationships out there. But what we’re trying to say is, Emma and Dexter’s chance encounter in college and the gradual switch between sexual and platonic energy was more wholesome and free-flowing in the One Day series compared to the film. With the luxury of 14 episodes, the series took its time building their friendship and subsequent relationship with a solid foundation. Viewers felt the unwavering strength in their dynamic grow like a tree, which made the crashing down of the duo more impactful (and painful) in the TV show.
In every instance leading up to the moment Emma and Dex finally came together, we would even go as far as to say they were like a see-saw — with one being utterly blissful and the other facing complete turmoil. Woodall, had softer expressions and, at times, the look of a lost boy, making him more likable and easier to empathize with. The fact that they made Emma’s death a longer process and showed Dexter mourning helplessly is enough to make anybody cry.
In the movie, the death is abrupt, and the ending doesn’t provide viewers with a satisfactory closure. We see Dex mourning and healing slowly with a sudden hit of a flashback montage and hallucination that viewers most definitely didn’t see coming. The supporting cast of One Day coming to his aid was a nice touch that warmed our bellies and not to forget — the mending of relationships between Dex, his father, and even his ex-wife, Sylvie. Either way, it’s clear that while the original is good, the reboot certainly took the story to the next level! Also check out all these great movies that take place over the course of one day!
Follow Us
