The One I Love (2014)

Struggling with a marriage on the brink of falling apart, a couple escapes for a weekend in pursuit of their better selves, only to discover an unusual dilemma that awaits them. (imdb)
Cast and Information
Directed By: Charlie McDowell
Written By: Justin Lader
Starring: Mary Steenburgen, Mark Duplass, Elisabeth Moss, Ted Danson, Kiana Cason, Kaitlyn Dodson, Lori Farrar, Marlene Malin
Genres: Romance, Drama, Fantasy
AKA: Tek Askim
Country: USA
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The One I Love belongs to 17 collections
1. edkrak films to see (public: edkrak - 4 stars)
2. Directorial debut (collaborative: moderated by djross - 16 stars)
3. Movies to See (public: gsb)
4. Doppelgänger (collaborative: moderated by Sunsplitter - 2 stars)
5. Improvised / Improv (collaborative: moderated by Ag0stoMesmer - 3 stars)
6. Sundance 2014 - Premieres (public: chemical404)
7. Sundance (2001-2014) (collaborative: moderated by vwgregov - 2 stars)
8. !f İstanbul 2015 (collaborative - 4 stars)
9. 2014 US Theatrical (collaborative: moderated by DrBroel)
10. K&A (public: caffe)
11. Stuart Wellington Recommends (collaborative: moderated by lexwhitfield - 1 star)
12. Remembered Films (public: JanaMarie)
13. Edgar Wright 1000 Favorite Movies (Aug 2016) (collaborative: moderated by Aron Ericson - 16 stars)
14. Edgar 256 (public: caffe)
15. Improvisational Films (collaborative: moderated by Dunstan-xxx)
16. 2019 (public: gamzeknc)
17. Unscripted and Improvised (collaborative: moderated by TychoCelchuu - 1 star)
Browse the full list of collections
Stars | User | Rating | |
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Leonardis | 88 59th |
I went into this not knowing much outside of the premise: A married couple going on a short escape to rekindle their marriage. Going into this not knowing what I was in for was probably the best way to watch it. It probably could have explored it's ideas a bit more, but the performances are great and it certainly has some interesting things to say about relationships as well, and I actually liked the ending. If you're looking for a strange little indie film, definitely check this out.
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KasperL | 80 86th |
This fun experiment is low-budget filmmaking at it's very best. Duplass and Moss are excellent together as the married couple.
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hellsditch | 77 46th |
Here's another entry in the "relationship in crisis" genre that I find so hard to resist. This one goes a step beyond the usual by taking a very hard, very weird turn toward the supernatural (?) that I'm still not quite sure about. The movie seems to try and explain itself in the final 20-ish minutes and I don't think it really does it any favors. Duplass and Moss are charismatic enough to make the concept mostly work even if the concept is more successful than the execution.
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Jerky | 80 96th |
The less you know, the better it is. That's how I went into it. Takes a very simple concept and throws a huge curve ball into the mix. A film that stimulates conversation about philosophy, human behaviour, reality vs. fantasy and duality. The film works as well as it does because of the fine acting jobs from both Duplass and Moss. After seeing the film, both the poster and title make complete sense.
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clumsyghost | 88 57th |
Basically a really funny and tense episode of the Twilight Zone.
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2 | theficionado | 63 61st |
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Really on the verge of being sticky and troubling and fascinating, but the last act goes off the rails both textually and subtextually. For most of its running time, TOIL is about our willingness to accept inauthenticity in pursuit of the ideal; it's telling that the asshole is the one that questions the performance of his faux-partner and notices something is deeply wrong. Unfortunately, the last-act explication of what's happening confuses the themes while dispersing the sense of unease.
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fenixdown | 76 58th |
Pretty good episode of the Twilight Zone.
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2 | DougieD | 80 54th |
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A funny and insightful examination of love and marriage that goes to surprising places.
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Paxton | 70 63rd |
Major spoilers ahead and all for the sake of a lame joke. Seriously, don't ruin this movie for a groaner punch line. You can come back and finish reading later. I trust you. Okay. My wife and I stayed at a cottage exactly like this but my identical, if only slightly better looking replica had no problem escaping the grounds. I stayed with the wife and he moved out west. I hear he's an actor now. You might have seen him under his stage name: Henry Cavill. Edit: I told you.
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2 | mrkbingham | 83 46th |
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A dizzying film - not due to any science fiction, but because of the parts that hit home the most. When we love, we take a leap of faith: that through loving we will truly get to know someone else. But relationships go through stressful and unknown times; this hits that hard. Certainly Duplass's best role to date, meeting the great heights of Moss. The ending is quick and abrupt, but so goes life. Together, their chemistry is wanting, but a great look at relationships nonetheless.
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DMCrimson | 83 82nd |
The main "twist" is a good idea for a plot but you've got to be amazed at how the movie continually builds tension on top of the fresh perspective on relationships. I partially agree with other reviewers that the last act loses some steam and goes into details we didn't need but I still enjoyed the overall trajectory.
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1 | nuotio | 61 73rd |
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Indie flick with a very intriguing premise which I felt could have been better handled and made into a even darker and more complex film. But, it's already refreshing and a kind-of anti date flick as it is. Should be seen without knowing too much about it in advance.
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walkabout | 50 18th |
An interesting (at first sight) 90 minutes film which ends up feeling 4 to 5 hours...
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twincinema | 75 64th |
Great concept that the film wisely doesn't try to over-explain.
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AFlickering | 2 18th |
as watchable as anything that coasts on a fantastic premise, but ugh such a missed opportunity.
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Mohko | 70 61st |
I didn't know much about the film going in and it kinda surprised me in a positive way. Story offers much more than the synopsis promises so maybe check the movie out even if that sounds boring. McDowell mixes different elements pretty well and the score creates a nice atmosphere.
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Icarus | 82 69th |
This begins in truly compelling fashion, and stays that way for about 2/3 of its run time, at which point it sort of loses its footing. That said, I think this is a pretty dark portrait of a modern marriage, wrapped up in a sweet, rom-com style package. That the film withholds its cynicism until its final moments only makes the revelation that much more devastating and tragic. The film remains eminently watchable throughout, despite a couple of narrative missteps in the last act.
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Snazz | 70 71st |
It's rare that a couples therapy romantic drama speaks to me. But Duplass is truly becoming an actor showing us interesting genre blending indie films.
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Obdurate | 75 53rd |
You could see the ending coming. But it's an interesting movie about relationships with a slight sci-fi element. The "why" is never explained, and we're expected to just go along for the ride and see how this married couple deal with the idea of a more perfect doppelganger. I guess it not getting bogged down in the why helps somewhat, and the two leads do a wonderful job. It reveals the twist earlier and instead examines the situation, which was an interesting choice. Didn't find it funny tho.
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TheRealJ-Ro | 75 55th |
What a weird little movie. Part rom-com, part drama, part suspense, part mystery... hell, part Sci-Fi! I totally dug it. The characters are maybe a biiiiit on the contrived side and cartoon-y, but that's not a criticism. And it's a pretty darn engaging flick just the same, outside of a little silliness here and there. It struck me how self-serving Sophie is as a character compared to Ethan. Doesn't really surprise me that a dude wrote this. But it's quite a good movie, very entertaining. See it!
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chemical404 | 71 85th |
This was not what I expected... It was better! For best effect this film should be seen without any prior knowledge about the plot. One of those very rare occasions when something original and fresh comes within such predictable genre like romantic dramedy. Duplass&Co are really doing great things. Who could have thought that mumblecore will go this far?
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1 | topaz420 | 80 60th |
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Nice Twilight-Zone-esque rumination on relationships. The less you know going in, the better
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RealMacgyver | 70 54th |
Good but too long for the material
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WWallce4prez | 75 59th |
While its probably filled with more than few plot holes, The One I Love feels fresh in its attempt to explore some very familiar issues.
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Stewball | 70 54th |
Off kilter semi-comedy about a couple who go for a weekend getaway on the advice of their marriage counselor. Best advice, don't try to figure out what's really going on because a lot of questions will remain unanswered.
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1 | jasoo2 | 47 34th |
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Neat premise but I felt it dropped off at the end.
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JohnSandwich | 75 74th |
I liked it a lot
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FunkyAstro | 60 58th |
Starts like any cliche 'struggling couple' movie set at a retreat. The movie is at its most interesting when the wrench is thrown in and you're left trying to figure it out. At this point you feel you might be in for a weird ride that explores the complex meaning of relationships, but it never gets that deep. Instead you're just trying to figure out this bizarre fictional matrix with the main characters. I know what the movie wants to say but they never actually do a good job saying it.
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lupister | 39 39th |
An interesting premise, but the unfolding and resolution of it are pretty lame. Elisabeth Moss is mad cute in it.
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1 | dunetails | 80 73rd |
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Brilliant, I love that there's such a wealth of small independent movies coming out at the moment.
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wetwillies | 85 59th |
A little mystery of a film that mixes cynical relationship drama with whimsical science-fiction to create one of the more surprisingly great films of the year. That being said, for all of its emphasis on its premise, The One I Love simply would not work without the two fantastic performances from Mark Duplass and Elisabeth Moss.
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ludvigsen | 70 61st |
Mark Duplass is slowly becoming an indie hero of sorts, in this discrete nutcase of a movie that feels almost old school Hollywood - you know, before everything felt too calculated and still had some wackiness to it. It maybe would have benefited by a longer buildup before revealing the twist, but instead chooses to play the "what would you do if.." card, and thats kinda fun too. You do see the ending coming miles off though.
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closedmouth | 70 41st |
Go into this blind, it makes the first half a whole lot of fun. I mean, it's good all the way through, but it's a peril of high-concept indie scifi (and you kind of give the game away by even calling it scifi) that the explanation is never as interesting as the setup, and that's certainly true here. I had so many ideas for what could have been happening that any explanation would have been disappointing, so it's to the filmmakers' credit that it doesn't end up a total a pants-shitting nightmare.
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1 | damil | 70 67th |
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Going in blindly is the best way. The third act didn't quite match up to the intrigue of the first two. I loved the concept overall, but the film didn't go quite deep and dark enough with it. Consequently, the ending felt a bit flat. Duplass and Moss were decent, but I think some other actors could've pulled it off just as well, if not better. Reminded me a lot of Being John Malkovich (1999). It doesn't go that extra mile to being great, but it's a cool movie that's worth a go.
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Hofschneider | 86 83rd |
What an elegant, pure, yet cinematic way of showing fundamental questions of 21th-century-partnership. We can never go back, once we hurt soemone, but we work, we try and we fail, which makes us loveable again. We want authenticity and we have passions, wishes - ideals. And if someone makes it up to you can you believe it? Can you move forward like they tell you in therapysessions? Or would you stay in the guesthouse for the rest of your life? (Yes, the last act goes off the rails, so what!)
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Ryan Lueders (ReelRyan) | 86 76th |
I love this one. When I hear that Mark Duplass is in a film, I ask where I can sign up. I just really like him as an actor. I've always thought Elizabeth Moss has been a fun actress since I saw her in the West Wing. She also has incredibly beautiful eyes. So, if you read the description of this movie, it will tell you that this is about a couple with a problem marriage and they are escaping to a place to fix it... [Full Review]
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mattorama12 | 75 77th |
Reveals the conceit quite early, and then keeps building on it wonderfully. I think it doesn't quite know how to stick the landing by worrying more about the sci-fi plot than the relationship-themes that we've become invested in by that point. That said, it's really just an interesting and unique movie, and one I think will stick with me. I recommend it quite a bit.
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disconnected | 74 62nd |
Much better than Safety Not Guaranteed, the earlier high-concept dramedy in which Mark Duplass co-starred with a gorgeous woman from a critically acclaimed TV show. It's not perfect, considering the final moments are way too predictable and it does feel a bit slight overall, but considering how many ways it could have gone wrong (see the earlier example and Coherence as well), it's impressive how well it does succeed, subtle and bittersweet in all the right ways.
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1 | Uhrmacher | 82 30th |
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Points for brevity at only 90 min! The concept is not so innovative but seems in the first half like it will develop into an effective character development drama. Then there are some drastic changes that really weakened the story and just made it a confusing mess.
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seydakesen | 85 64th |
and i'm going freaky.
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1 | donquixotic | 72 83rd |
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Okay I didn't see that coming. Thank god I was told to go into this blind
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AlbertE | 21 31st |
not recommended.
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1 | sputnik84 | 86 80th |
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A cute little philosophical experiment, yet these characters feel very deep.
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joel-w-m | 7 64th |
With its unexpected mix of suspenseful thriller and romantic dramedy, the film gives both genres a refreshing face-lift: the former with authentic acting, natural dialogue, and heightened character focus; the latter with a bizzare sci-fi-ish twist that puts interpersonal tension within an unsettling new framework. There are a couple of possible plot holes, and the final act's uncovering leaves something to be desired, but the open-ended mystery of it all has does have its charm too.
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1 | fernandista | 78 89th |
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Excelente película.
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Average Percentile 54.96% from 983 Ratings | ![]() |