The One I Love 🥓
Happy Thursday! Hope you’re having a really nice week. In case you missed last week’s newsletter, you can read it here.
Today’s movie is The One I Love (2014), streaming on Netflix, an underseen indie sci-fi dramedy that was the directorial debut of Charlie McDowell, son of Malcolm McDowell and Mary Steenburgen.
Here’s what it’s about: A couple (Elizabeth Moss and Mark Duplass) on the brink of divorce travel to a picturesque vacation home for a weekend getaway in an attempt to save their marriage. However, when they enter the adjoining guest house, they discover something incredible and potentially life-altering. [Trailer // 91 mins]
Why you should watch it: What begins as a pretty standard indie drama about a dissolving marriage evolves into a devilishly fun high-concept dramedy that feels like a modern take on a setup from The Twilight Zone. McDowell finds the perfect balance of comedy, drama and sci-fi with an assist from endearing performances by Moss and Duplass that keep you absorbed for the breezy 90-minute runtime.
And while the movie is fun to watch as it unravels, its underlying themes and ponderings of relationships are particularly profound. If you could have the idealized version of your partner, would you be happier? Or is it better to accept them for their flaws? The beauty of The One I Love is that it doesn’t set out to deliver easy answers. Instead, it asks you to look at the person in the mirror for them.
📺 Buy or Rent: Prime Video | YouTube
Pair it with 🍷
Coherence (dir. James Ward Byrkit): A group of friends gathers for a dinner on the night a comet is set to pass overhead. However, as the comet approaches, weird events start to happen — the power goes out, their phone screens shatter, and they find a box with pictures of them in it. Soon they realize they have to question everything they think they know about their world.
The Endless (dir. Justin Benson & Aaron Moorehead): Two brothers (Benson and Moorehead) travel back to the “UFO death cult” they escaped from years earlier looking for answers. They find what they’re looking for — and then some.
One random movie thought 💭
Today I was thinking of this gorgeous scene from Call Me By Your Name where Mr. Perlman (Michael Stuhlbarg—who was robbed of an Oscar nomination) talks to his son (Timothée Chalamet) about identity, love and longing—all the while keeping things subtextual, as to not put any pressure on him. Truly one of the best-written scenes of the century.
Don’t forget to practice self-care. If you need to talk to someone, do it. Listen to Carly Rae Jepsen’s new album and have a terrific weekend!
See you Monday —
Karl (@karl_delo)