Why the 'One True Loves' Movie Adaptation Got Bad Reviews
The movie was based on Taylor Jenkins Reid's book.
Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic
The film adaptation of One True Loves only managed to grab a score of 35 out of 100, based on 7 critics, on Metacritic, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews." Unfortunately, the movie didn't fare any better on Rotten Tomatoes, where it currently holds a 23% rotten critics score, with a critics consensus reading, "Cheap-looking and tonally confused, One True Loves wastes an interesting premise on a romantic comedy that largely lacks love and laughs."
prevnextPacing Issues
For many, the film struggled with its pace. Writing for IndieWire, Samantha Bergeson wrote, "the pacing is all off, and what we want to see more of -- the actual romance(s)! -- is as MIA."
prevnextClichés and tropes
"Rating creative works by their 'cringe factor' is immature and click-baity, but in rare cases as in this film, the cringe count had to be deployed," John Lui wrote for The Straits Times (Singapore) in a review that seemed that many seemed to agree with. Peyton Robinson added for RogerEbert.com, "tropes are a given in a rom-com and are sometimes welcome, but One True Loves executes them with the determined reliance of a ball and chain."
prevnextNo Payoff
Some critics said that the film didn't provide any payoff, with The Guardian's Phil Hoad writing in his review, "There is little payoff, with Fickman running shy of the full-blooded commitment to make his film a proper weepie and instead constantly reverting to sassy, annoyingly self-aware comedy that makes light of everything." Meanwhile, Dennis Schwartz wrote in his review for Movie Reviews, "the screenplay is not sensitive enough to flesh out answers to the question asked.
prevnextA soap opera
A recurring theme in critic reviews was a consensus that One True Loves is nothing more than a soap opera. NYC Movie Guru's review dubs the movie "a schmaltzy, contrived and anemic soap opera," warning viewers to "prepare for a film that's so saccharine that it might end up giving you a cavity." Meanwhile, Culture Mix wrote of the movie, "the principal cast members do their best in their attempts to make this story convincing, but they are undercut by screenwriting and direction that make this sappy film look like the cinematic equivalent of a cheap and often-unrealistic romance novel."
prevnextWhat does the audience say about 'One True Loves'?
Unfortunately, One True Loves didn't fare much better among the audience. The film's audience score on Rotten Tomatoes is a measly 44%, which is certified rotten. One viewer wrote that the movie "tries to be a heart-wrencher and fails. Too cutesy," with another person adding, "it was so awful. The book is amazing but the movie was just a complete wasn't of a great plot. Like the acting was horrible and I was cringing the entire time. It I could rate this 0 I would."
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