The 2024 limited series One Day has been ranked the No. 1 most heartbreaking Netflix show of all time, putting the British romantic drama above eight other emotionally heavy series on the streaming platform.
Based on David Nicholls’ acclaimed 2009 novel, One Day follows Emma Morley and Dexter Mayhew as their lives continue to cross over nearly two decades. Played by Ambika Mod and Leo Woodall, the pair begin as friends after meeting at their university graduation and continue to find their way back to each other at different points in their lives.
Collider places One Day at the top because of its story about love, friendship, missed chances, grief and the unpredictable turns of life. The series was described as an emotionally weighty and realistic portrayal of love, with its story eventually becoming a deeply painful watch.
One Day is built around a simple idea. Emma and Dexter meet on July 15, 1988, after graduating from the University of Edinburgh. Each episode then returns to the same date in another year, allowing viewers to see how their friendship, careers, relationships and personal struggles change over time.
The 14-episode limited series follows the pair from their younger years into adulthood. Dexter comes from a privileged family and becomes a television presenter, while Emma works toward becoming a writer after spending time as a teacher.
They become close friends, drift apart, reconnect and face new problems as they grow older. Their feelings for each other remain an important part of the story even when their lives take different paths.
The Guardian praised the format for turning the 20-year love story into 14 episodes, with each installment showing another stage of Emma and Dexter’s lives. The review described the series as a story about the “poetry of day-to-day life and the power of nostalgia.”
That structure also gives the characters room to grow. Variety described the series as a story about friendship, grief and expectations, while noting how the show explores the painful parts of being a young adult. Family members die, careers change, friendships are tested and romantic relationships become more complicated.
The series also spends time showing the mistakes made by both main characters. Dexter’s confidence and privileged background affect the way he treats people around him, while Emma struggles when her plans for her life do not happen as expected.
Rather than making their journey a simple fairy tale, One Day shows how people can change over time and how decisions can affect relationships years later.
The performances from Mod and Woodall were also important to the series’ reception. Roger Ebert’s review praised the two leads, describing Woodall as “perfectly cast” and Mod as “winningly” portraying Emma.
The review also noted that the series gives viewers more time with Emma and Dexter than the 2011 movie adaptation starring Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess. That longer format allows the audience to see the characters as they grow, make mistakes and deal with the consequences of their choices.
Although One Day is often described as a romantic drama, its story is also centered on friendship. Emma and Dexter do not simply spend the series trying to become a couple.
The series premiered on Netflix on Feb. 8, 2024. It was also reported as the most-watched series globally during the week of Feb. 12, with 9.9 million views.
Its emotional impact is closely tied to the way the story handles loss. Without relying only on romance, One Day shows how quickly life can change and how people may not get the future they expect.
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