One Night

My Review - One Night Streaming on Paramount My Rating 8/10

After watching a number of series like One Night and The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart depicting domestic violence and sexual assaults on women by male perpetrators I long for another show like Ted Lasso or Poldark to convince me that not all men are sexual predators.

Saying that One Night is a fine example of Australian cinema storytelling I really had only two small criticisms and they were not about the performances of the actors but more about the little things that make a movie or series excellent rather than very good.

Mikaela Binns-Rorke who gave a very convincing performance as young Tess however she bared no resemblance whatsoever to Jodie Whittaker who is superb as the adult Tess . Perhaps the reason is because we don't have the great pool of actors that overseas productions have to choose from but when the drama of the series centres around the traumatic experiences of Tess and her two teenage girl friends 20 years previously the younger characters should I think be easy to identify Bridgette Armstrong resembled the adult Simone as did Bella Ridgway who played young Hat resembled the adult Hat .

One Night is the story of three women whose bond is all but destroyed when Simone anonymously publishes an unauthorised novel recalling the terror of that one night.

The traumatic events of one night 20 years previously comes back to haunt Tess beautifully played by Jodie Whittaker who has returned home to Sydney from living in the U. K for years with her wife Vicki and their two children Harper and Jude.

Nicole da Silva is also very impressive as Simone the author of the book that causes so much drama she seeks solace in alcohol which is a complete contrast to Tess who has remained sober since the trauma of that fateful night .

Yael Stone who plays Hat the third friend involved is an interesting character who holds the key to much of this story.

There are some fine male performers also in one night especially the two Calley brothers Trevor played by Errol Shand and Joey played by George Mason.

The only other small criticism I had that irritated me was Noni Hazlehurst's thick overdone Scottish accent her character Mary the unkempt vulgar local pub owner had lived in Australia for over 30 years with her two equally unpleasant sons Joey and Trevor so surely I thought that she would have lost some of her broad accent but no she sounded like she just stepped out of the Edinburg Tattoo.

Emily Ballou and Fiona Seres have created a disturbing,interesting and entertaining story which is impressively directed by Lisa Matthews and Catherine Millar and if this production from Easy Tiger Productions and Motive Pictures is an indication of an increase in Australian movie and television content on our streaming services I think we are in for some quality productions.

I have a common interest in these types of stories, but this one really caught my attention. At first, i was going to watch it just for Jodie Whittaker. But as it went on, my emotions really skyrocketed even more than i imagined they would. I think all the actors did a brilliant job portraying their roles. It's such a rare experience to see queer normalisation and thats not even the focus of the plot. This show deserves way more love. I will happily recommend this to absolutely anyone who has an interest in dramas to do with past traumas. Please boost this show. There isn't enough content surrounding it.

It is so incredibly wonderful to watch stories of womens' lives told by women. Over the past few years I look for these shows. It makes me realise how profoundly accustomed we were to watching stories about women as imagined by men. Another thing I noticed was that the reviews for these shows are filled with men saying how unrealistic the characters are, and how crazy the female characters are. It's so refreshing not to be limited by those points of view, to see ourselves represented in tv drama.

This is the second thing I've watched this week showing women living with a constant threat of intimidation. I grew up as a teenager in the 70's. We had a good life, lots of freedom, but I've been thinking lately about how it was natural for us to have to be so very careful. I sometimes talk to my sister about the ways we had to act and talk and adjust ourselves to stay safe. I'm beginning to notice how much we adapted how we are in the world, and every show like this that I see shifts that dynamic.

This series is so beautifully written, directed, acted. Early on I worried about the pacing, but then a few more threads got woven in and I worried how it could all be resolved in 6 episodes. I used to live a few kilometres from where this is set, just down the road a bit. It is stunning country, and thats obvious in the scenery in this series. Makes me wonder why more tv hasn't been made in the area. The steep bluffs, the ocean, the small villages dotted along the coast, the sea cliff bridge, all create such an atmospheric background.

A couple of things that stuck out for me. All the women were very natural, hair messy, skin blemishes. The older women - the grandmothers - had sun damage, as you do living in that climate. The accents were all excellent. None of the characters were perfect, they all had their flaws which was part of the complexity of the drama. But in the end they managed to come to terms with themselves and each other. There was a lot of very positive messaging without being in any way preachy.

I watched this in 2 sittings and absolutely loved it.

The story was captivating and addressed a topic (sexual assault and its aftermath even decades later) that is rarely seen in this kind of depth. The emotions of the characters were so real that you could feel their pain at times, but you had to keep going to find out what happened. I was impressed by how brutally honest the series was regarding how much a single trauma can affect someone for years to come, as well as how it impacts their relationships with others. They also pulled no punches with all the things other people say that are the opposite of helpful and how much pain that causes the victim/survivor. Incredible acting by everyone involved, but Jodie Whittaker is definitely the standout, conveying so much with just her eyes. Amazing performance. I binged the series in two days which I rarely do, and it felt like reading a really absorbing book. Definitely worth the watch. Nice to see a series that is female-driven both on and off screen.

I crave Australian shows because the acting is 10 times better than it is in the US for example. Don't mean to hurt anyone's feelings but aussies seem to have what it takes to make it look natural. Nothing is ever overplayed. By the way I'm French, so...

Although the storyline wasn't that exceptional, I immensely enjoyed watching some of my favourite actresses (Kat Stewart and Nicole Da Silva, Yael Stone) gathered for this occasion. Couldn't dream of a better cast!!

Also, the scenery is really breathtaking.

I definitely want (no, NEED) more of these productions.

Okay I'll go check IMDB now!