One Night

The scenery is beautiful and the actors put their soul into the roles but the overall effect somehow doesn't connect. I don't understand how anyone can have PTSD of a event which they have no memory of, and its never explained in the series. The whole premise is of 3 friends who had a bad experience one night , one of them getting raped when she was unconscious and leaving the town after that. They meet 20 years after and have to relive the events in their mind and life as one of them Simone chooses to publish a book about it.

The younger versions certainly seem to have bonding but I could see no genuine connection between them as adults. And Simone keeps saying it's also her story, no its not because she is the only one who is not in trouble because of the book or the night. Try as hard as I might , I could not empathize with Jodie Whittaker's adult character because the younger version is shown bold and doesn't even have memory of the event.

Frankly "Hat" is the only character whose concerns seemed genuine.

And then there is this token Asian character who is a weasel trying to garner publicity at the expense of the anonymity of the writer.

This is probably one of my favorite series of all time, aptly addressing the issues of complicated female friendships, perceptions over time, and of course the prevalent issue of sexual assault and how it can impact you. Very intense, kept me wanting to keep watching each episode despite the late hour. All three leads were amazing, but Jodie Whittaker in that "one scene" where her expressions perfectly conveyed her emotional responses to what she was "listening to" ( I wont spoil it for you) just broke me.

All the characters are complex, as we are in real life, each trying their best to navigate their way after a traumatic night that robbed them of their youthful openness and joy about life.

Disclaimer: I would give this show a 8.5 or 9/10 but as I can see there is already some review bombing starting (including from people overseas who can't even watch the show legally)... It's getting a 10! This is exactly the kind of Australian content I want to see! A rare show clearly made by women for women but also just a damn fine Australian drama.

It has messy, complicated female characters who are all distinct, interesting to follow and equal parts deeply flawed and sympathetic. I didn't find any of them frustrating to follow in the episodes where they were the focus (each of the main three characters has two episodes focussed on them- as indicated by the titles of the episodes). I also found the relationship/friendship between the three women believably fractured and loaded for what they've been through, filled with subtext, secrets, and differing perspectives. Yet, at the core you can see the deep bond between the three.

It also has a complex and relevant story navigating trauma, friendship, family, memory, justice etc. I feel like just about every woman (and probably a lot of men too) can relate to the major traumatic event of the series and I generally like how it's handled. The show never feels like it is exploiting, glorifying or making a spectacle out of the trauma, and the mystery of what happened is less important than its fallout. It also deals with the justice system, and, once again, it is both infuriating and true to what goes on. Something I also love is how natural most of the dialogue is. The characters sound really unashamedly Australian in how they speak.

It also has a really beautiful Australian setting. It's so great seeing more stunning Australian areas getting featured in shows. Especially regional coastal areas of Australia. Australian film/TV has a big issue with always setting shows/films either in very rural Australian towns (usually drought-stricken, barren) or pockets of very white, coastal city suburbia. Regional coastal Australia especially has been woefully neglected and it's about time that changed.

Then there's the acting, which is top tier. The acting from the leads especially is incredible! It's so good! The three are powerhouses together, and there is never a sense of them trying to figure out the roles. They nail it from the start. All the emotional moments of the show hit so well. It's very satisfying to watch.

And a special kudos to Jodie Whittaker, who manages to pull off one of the best Australian accents out there, and still somehow give an amazing, understated and nuanced performance. Also as an Australian I feel so honoured that Jodie Whittaker picked an Australian show for her first role out of Doctor Who and was apparently willing to cut her maternity leave short and relocate here on the other side of the planet for months to film. That's commitment! Especially as she clearly put the hard yards into her Australian accent. She can come back here and play another Australian any time she likes! Seriously! She's an honorary Australian in my eyes and I'm sure many other Australians for that accent alone.

As for flaws, there are a few things but nothing that major. Some might understandably complain the pacing is slow at points, but I honestly didn't mind because I quite like a slow burn, and this kind of story flourishes in the character drama. I suppose that's personal preference. There were a few minor side characters or plotlines I wasn't as keen on, and a few plotlines/ plot points that felt like they weren't fully resolved or were dropped too quickly or conveniently, but nothing that left me feeling very dissatisfied. There was the rare line of dialogue that was a bit too obvious, and a few shots of the past felt a bit too on-the-nose whimsical. But overall I really enjoyed this miniseries and its attributes far outweighed its flaws! Definitely plan on rewatching it soon and I hope to see more Australian shows like it coming out! I love how many great Australian shows are coming out this year!

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 highly recommend watching "One Night." 6 parts. Stellar casting. Amazing cinematography of the Illawarra region including my favourite road. And an incredible storyline. I binge watched it over two nights. It is that good. Did I mention the cast? Already a fan of so many but this is next level acting. Jodie Whittaker. (Dr Who! Enough said) Yael Stone. (Orange Is The New Black) Nicole da Silva. (Wentworth) Plus supports who are usually leads themselves. Noni Hazlehurst. Tina Bursill. Best thing I've watched in a long time. The only reason that it didn't get 10 stars is that it dragged a little at one point.