One Day in Sedona walks the walk, and it certainly talks the talk.
Monique Sorgen’s film embraces a dialogue-forward, one-setting rom-com that toys with fated soulmates through a practical lens.
Julie (played by Alysia Reiner) is seeking purpose in the wake of her father’s death. Will (played by Wallace Langham) is recovering from the heartbreak of a divorce. The two lost souls find themselves drawn to a hiking trail in Sedona to heal, only to meet each other in the parking lot. During their walk, a shared past reveals itself as Julie learns Will worked with her father years prior as a civil rights lawyer.
As the hike progresses, signs that these two were meant to meet continue to reveal themselves, as Julie and Will grapple with opening themselves back up to love.
Perhaps the most intriguing element of this outing is how Julie’s grief shapes her choice to seek peace in the beautiful mountainside, and directs her toward a new romance. The film continuously hints at a higher power — whether it be a spirit or the universe itself — pushing these two heartbroken souls together.
It elevates a concept that is essentially two people getting to know each other on a long walk from something practical to something downright magical at times.
Through a series of exchanges, Julie established that her father left her signs after his death to follow. The film sets up beautifully for that romantic moment between the couple when she gives Will a napkin with the sign written on it. Later, when their feelings for each other reach a boiling point, he unfolds the napkin to learn Julie knew he was a sign from her father since the first moment they met.
It’s a reveal that knocks the floor out from under the audience; it’s that good.
And there are several more fated moments throughout One Day in Sedona that take this rom-com to an otherworldly level. There’s the realization that Julie’s father tried to set the two up when Will worked for him years earlier. Then there is the final act reveal that despite Will and Julie bypassing each other after they part ways, the two strangers are staying at the same hotel. That shot of the motorcycle with Julie’s water bottle in the cupholder is goose-bump worthy!
The subtext is rich with soulmate messaging that propels the crackling chemistry between Reiner and Langham forward.
Unfortunately, while so much of this film excels in its subtlety, the dialogue does not take the same approach.
This is a dialogue-heavy film, and the marketing makes that very clear before audiences sit down to watch. It is formatted as a two-person back-and-forth. As such, there is a lot of pressure on these two amazing actors to deliver their lines with increasing intrigue and emotion — which they do with impressive on-screen ease.
The issues arise with the dialogue itself.
So much of the script isn’t romantic or particularly saturated with personal growth. It drives forward with hot-button topics and politically steeped conversation that grates on even the most captivating viewers. There’s nothing fundamentally hot about listening to two people who are clearly attracted to each other drone on about AI, human rights, and the judicial system with the same sound bites we are pelted with every day on social media.
It’s the opposite of the escapism rom-coms should offer on a fundamental level.
All of these topics are a part of the human experience and should absolutely be discussed in films — hell, they should absolutely be discussed during a first date too. But to make these conversations the core of the couple’s meet-cute drags the momentum down with every romantic step forward.
That said, it’s difficult to stay mad at dense dialogue and a wandering premise when the view is this gorgeous.
The one-set film is no new creation by any means. However, it is usually treated as a stage in a play with actors moving in and out of frame with an indoor set. With One Day in Sedona, there are no limitations to the singular set, with its winding trails and beautiful backgrounds.
When the foreground loses our attention, the background dazzles with its vibrant colours and breathtaking natural beauty. Even better, there are dozens of corners throughout this hike for new scenarios and strangers to pop up and surprise the leads.
The concept of two people on a hike is easy to fall in love with when the setting is this stunning.
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