Story
Emma (Phillipa Soo) is on the verge of marrying her long-time best friend Sam (Simu Liu) when she receives a phone call from her husband Jesse (Luke Bracey) who was believed to have died in a helicopter crash 4 years ago. As it turns out, Jesse was the lone survivor of the crash that claimed the lives of everyone else on board. He managed to swim to a deserted island and cling to life by hanging on to the hope of being reunited with Emma once again.
Now, Emma is torn between both men whom she loves deeply. She must decide if she wants to return to the adventurous life she shared with Jesse; or if she’s happy with her current life in a place she never wanted to be, working at a job she had always despised, but which also led her to Sam, who’s been madly in love with her since high school.
As Sam attempts to come to terms with his feelings, changing between being the supportive fiancé and fighting for the woman he loves, Jesse and Emma spend a weekend together at their honeymoon cabin, learning about how much they both have changed and wondering if true love lasts forever.
Themes
Death; identity crisis; grief; survival; changing yourself to meet someone else’s ideal of who you should be
Violence
One True Loves has some violence. For example:
- A helicopter crashes into the ocean. There is screaming, and dead bodies float on the water.
- Jesse screams in a powerful rage as he tries repeatedly to escape the island but is always pushed back.
Sexual references
One True Loves has some sexual references. For example, Sam and some of his students refer to some people who are in sexual relationships, as being part of either a ‘thruple’ or a ‘quad’.
Alcohol, drugs and other substances
One True Loves has some substance use. For example:
- Alcoholic drinks are served at an engagement party.
- Characters have wine with dinner.
- Jesse and Emma drink wine at their cabin.
Nudity and sexual activity
One True Loves has some nudity and sexual activity. For example:
- Emma and Sam kiss passionately on multiple occasions.
- Emma and Jesse kiss passionately on multiple occasions.
- Emma tells Sam that she needs him, and they share an intense kiss. He takes off his shirt, she wraps her legs around his waist, and he carries her into the other room. It’s implied that they have sex on the carpet in the living room, although it’s not shown.
- Jesse and Emma breathe heavily and kiss as they lay together on the sofa. Jesse takes off his shirt and then her shirt. They are shown afterwards in bed together. Again, sex is implied but not shown.
Product placement
One True Loves has some product placement. For example, The Hunger Games is mentioned.
Coarse language
One True Loves has some coarse language.
Ideas to discuss with your children
Based on the novel by Taylor Jenkins Reid, One True Loves is a romantic drama with a powerful storyline about the choices we make and how we define who we are. This is not a movie for younger viewers. It is best suited to older teen and adult audiences.
These are the main messages from One True Loves:
- The extraordinary can be found everywhere.
- Life is full of twists and turns.
- The only way to get through tough times is to continue to move forward with the knowledge that the important thing is not who we love more, but who we are when we’re with the people we love.
Values in this movie that you could reinforce with your children are hope, compassion, forgiveness, love and honesty.