Elisabeth Moss and Mark Duplass (Radius-TWC)

Ethan (Mark Duplass) and Sophie (Elisabeth Moss) are in counseling. Their marriage began with the promise of a lifetime of happiness and vows of undying love and support, but these promises have given way to sniping, dissatisfaction and infidelity. Ethan and Sophie have come to a therapist (Ted Danson) in the hopes of saving their relationship and turning discord back into harmony. As the film begins, Ethan tells their therapist about a moment early in their relationship when they took an unauthorized plunge in a backyard pool. For their anniversary, Ethan takes Sophie on an adventure to try to recreate that moment and revitalize their relationship. But it doesn’t work. Can their marriage survive this? Their therapist suggests they take a retreat together at a remote location where he reports that patients always come back renewed.

The meticulously tended grounds of what they hope will be a relationship-saving retreat center features a guest house. That’s all I can really tell you about The One I Love. Critics have been asked not to reveal spoilers, and I only had to read one stray word from another review to realize what that spoiler is. I won’t tell you what that word is, but even if you figure it out, it’s worth seeing how Duplass and Moss navigate this framework in what is essentially a chamber piece, albeit one that would be impossible to perform on stage.

I may not be able to reveal the film’s premise, but The One I Love isn’t a feature-length study of tension leading up to a final gotcha. The major premise is revealed early in the movie, and the tension in the film revolves around how its characters deal with it. It’s a gimmick, but it’s one that resonates with their relationship and with themes of what men and women really want and need from each other.

Duplass and Moss capably support the weight of that premise on their shoulders. They have an uneasy chemistry that suits the plight of their relationship; these are generally likable people who have reached an impasse with each other, and it shows. I can’t tell you what makes The One I Love different from an ordinary relationship drama, but even if it were just an ordinary relationship drama, its lead performances make it worth watching. This is the first feature for director Charlie McDowell and screenwriter Justin Lader, and there are clumsy moments where the filmmakers seem to have drawn themselves into a situation they cannot resolve with any satisfaction. But McDowell and Lader create a palpable tension in both plot and character, its plot coming off as more than the fancies of a clever screenwriter, but by the realistically flawed characters who find themselves caught in it. The movie’s poster features the leading couple floating in a swimming pool, their heads above water. The One I Love immerses the viewer in its chilling waters, leaving you with a feeling of instability that may be hard to shake.

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The One I Love
Directed by Charlie McDowell
Written by Justin Lader
With Mark Duplass, Elisabeth Moss, Ted Danson
Rated R for language, some sexuality and drug use
Running time 91 minutes
Opens today at the AFI Silver, West End Cinema, Angelika Pop-up and Angelika Mosaic.