Perfect Reviews of Perfect Movies: The One I Love (2014) - low budget mindfuck drama

There are movies that are very hard to review for people who might have never seen them. And of course, most of those movies are mindfucks. I mean, if I started explaining the plot of The One I Love, it might sound just a little too confusing and probably dull to you. Anyway, if you liked gems like Coherence or Perfetti Sconosciuti (this one is a little different, but the mood is similar), you will enjoy The One I Love as well. It has everything from the relationship drama to completely unimaginable fiction. However, the main idea of the movie is about relationships, so if you are a cold-hearted pragmatic, skip this one.

All the movie is carried by two actors - Elisabeth Moss and Mark Duplass. However, those 2 actors get to play 4 roles, which might sound a little confusing at the moment, but you will understand everything once you start watching the movie. All the action takes place in a beautiful gateway, so obviously, it did not cost much as well. I would even call The One I Love one of those low budget one room movies, where the most important part is acting and the idea. And that is the beauty of every movie to me. I mean, all the special effects are cool, but let's be honest, special effects do not make legendary movies, it only brings money to the producers.

The Plot

Watch the movie, I don't want to spoil anything. All I can say is that it's about a couple which is going through a huge crisis in its relationship and looking for a fresh start. I'll leave the rest as a surprise.

My thoughts

I recommend watching the movie first before reading this part.

1. Every single relationship is fake at the beginning because people tend to act better to impress their new potential partners. That is why Ethan 2 and Sophie 2 were so much more attractive and well behaved. They represented the beginning of any relationship.

2. People cannot think independently - their thoughts are completely connected to the circumstances. That is why all of us can make mistakes and all of us can be heroes sometimes. We just act on impulses without actually realizing what's happening.

3. The saying "if it gets dangerous, we leave" is both stupid and naive. In the real life, when it gets dangerous, it is most likely way too late to leave.

4. If during the sex you are thinking about your partner but not the way your partner is now, but the way he/she was 5 years ago, are you cheating on your partner in your mind?

5. Do you think you could defeat yourself in a fight? I think about this a lot and always come to a conclusion that I would be too scared to fight against myself.

6. If something sounds too strange to be good, believe your guts, and avoid it.

7. People who let their minds get carried away by acting and illusions are doomed to suffer just like Sophie did in the end.

8. There are two possible interpretations of the ending, but I am pretty sure that Ethan 1 left the area with Sophie 2 as Sophie 1 was too in love with Ethan 2 and decided to stay behind. Also, Ethan 1 and Sophie 2 were actually trying to fight for their real relationship, while Ethan 2 and Sophie 1 gave up on their relationship and decided to cheat. That is why they were punished by that mysterious power.