Mark Duplass is a hard guy to pin down. For most, he is Pete Eckhart from the FXX comedy-series The League, but he, along with his older brother Jay, has written, directed, and produced several indie films including, but not limited to, Baghead, Cyrus, and Jeff Who Lives at Home. Not to mention his excellent acting work as well. I have yet to see a project that he was involved in, whether it was acting, directing, or writing, that I did not enjoy in one way or the other. So when I heard he was starring in the romantic drama (with a pinch of sci-fi sprinkled in) The One I Love I was instantly intrigued. I only waited this long to view the film in the hope the video-on-demand price would go down once it was no longer labeled “Still in Theaters.” I finally caved and paid the ridiculous price of $6.99 last weekend. As always you can give your thoughts down below in the comment section. Enjoy!

Dealing with a struggling marriage, Ethan (Duplass) and Sophie (Elizabeth Moss) visit a therapist (Ted Danson). Once they have exhausted all other options, the therapist suggests Sophie and Ethan spend a weekend in a cottage up north in an attempt to rekindle their romance. Once arriving at the cottage the couple discovers there is also a guest house on the property. Their vacation takes an unexpected turn once they discern the guest house’s strange ability.

As is customary on the podcast, I will attempt to make this review as spoiler-free as possible. It will be tough considering much of this film centers around its unusual concept, but I will try. Ethan describes it best in the film when he states the characters are in the middle of “a cosmic aberration.” This film is a monumental gamble by both the first-time director (Charlie McDowell) and writer (Justin Lader). The gamble pays off due in large part to the work of the film’s stars Duplass and Moss. As a fan of The League and his film work, I was not surprised by Duplass’ performance, but Moss really blew me away with hers. She was absolutely adorable at times and equally frustrating at others. As a married man, I found The One I Love especially unsettling considering it explores the question, “can you fall out of love?” The final act of the film does falter somewhat, but given the extraordinary premise I tend to give the filmmakers a pass. Whether you rent it as I did or see it in the theater seek out The One I Love; you won’t regret it.

Carried by strong performances by Duplass and Moss and bizarre, great premise, The One I Love is a must-see.

(4 / 5)