One Day’s Netflix Success Is A Reminder To Watch This 18-Year-Old Movie With 90% On Rotten Tomatoes
Summary
- Netflix’s “One Day” was a major hit series, and should prompt viewers to watch the 2006 film “Starter for 10,” based on a David Nicholls novel.
- Nicholls adapted a few of his books into screenplays, with the film “Starter for 10” receiving critical acclaim (and the movie version of “One Day” failing critically).
- “Starter for 10” and Netflix’s “One Day” received similar Rotten Tomatoes scores, yet the series was more successful globally.
Netflix’s One Day was one of the most streamed series upon its debut on the streaming platform, and its success should prompt those who enjoyed it to watch a film that premiered 18 years before the show’s release. The 2024 romantic drama television series is an adaptation of David Nicholls’ 2009 book of the same name, which chronicles the complicated and devastating love story between Dexter Mayhew and Emma Morley. The show received widespread critical acclaim, with One Day‘s reviews explaining that the series was faithful to Nicholls’ novel and took the time to develop the complex characters and story.
The Netflix adaptation wasn’t the first time Nicholls’ book was brought to life onscreen — the author wrote a screenplay based on his novel, which was turned into the 2011 movie One Day, starring Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess. Unfortunately, the film was not as well received as the television show (which might be why Nicholls, who served as an executive producer on the series and wrote episode 13, wanted a redo). While Netflix’s One Day is way better than Hathaway’s movie, Nicholls has proven that he can adapt his stories into successful films, as demonstrated by one project from 2006.
Why Starter For 10 Is Great For Fans Of One Day
One Day
Based on the novel by David Nicholls, One Day is a 2024 romantic drama series created by Nicole Taylor. Despite their lives drifting apart after high school, Dex and Emma reunite one day every year as their lives run parallel. Love, heartbreak, and the experience of growing apart together lie at the center of this decade-spanning love story.
- Cast
- Leo Woodall , Ambika Mod , Amber Grappy , Tim McInnerny , Jonny Weldon
- Release Date
- February 8, 2024
- Seasons
- 1
- Creator(s)
- Nicole Taylor , David Nicholls
David Nicholls published his first novel, Starter for Ten, in 2003, six years before he released One Day, and three years later, the author wrote his first screenplay based on one of his books. Starter for 10 premiered on November 10, 2006, and was a critical success. Its reviews claimed that the British romantic comedy-drama was charming, witty, and perfectly balanced the story’s light-spirited tones with its dark and serious features. While it’s certainly not as heartbreaking as the Netflix adaptation, Starter for 10 contains the same charm and would be the perfect watch after finishing One Day‘s 14 episodes.
Although Netflix’s
One Day
and
Starter for 10
received similar scores on
Rotten Tomatoes
, the 2024 series was significantly more successful than the 2006 movie.
Perhaps the primary difference between One Day and Starter for 10 is that the Netflix show’s story is much more complex as it takes place over the course of several years, while the 2006 movie centers around a university student who earns a spot on the TV quiz show University Challenge and finds himself in a love triangle. Of course, Starter for 10‘s plot is much more detailed and intriguing than that simple synopsis. But the 2003 novel ultimately works better when adapted into a film format, while One Day was seemingly meant to be a television series.
Netflix’s One Day Would’ve Been Worse If It Had Kept One Part Of Dexter’s Book Story
One part of Dexter’s story in David Nicholls’ 2009 book One Day was omitted from Netflix’s TV adaptation that would’ve made the hit series worse.
Why Starter For 10 Was Nowhere Near As Successful As One Day
Many attribute
Starter for 10
‘s commercial shortcomings to its story being too specific to the United Kingdom and its failure to connect with audiences in the United States.
Although Netflix’s One Day and Starter for 10 received similar scores on Rotten Tomatoes, the 2024 series was significantly more successful than the 2006 movie. The film only grossed $1.7 million, while the show was the most-watched series worldwide shortly following its debut. Many attribute Starter for 10‘s commercial shortcomings to its story being too specific to the United Kingdom and its failure to connect with audiences in the United States. Nevertheless, aside from the movie version of One Day, David Nicholls’ book-to-screen adaptations have been a hit among critics, and hopefully, more are on their way.
|
Film/TV Adaptation of a David Nicholls Book |
Tomatometer |
Audience Score |
|---|---|---|
|
Starter for 10 (2006) |
90% |
66% |
|
One Day (2011) |
36% |
50% |
|
Us (2020) |
94% |
80% |
|
One Day (2024) |
91% |
84% |
Starter for 10
is available to stream on Max.
Source: Rotten Tomatoes
One Day
Based on the novel by David Nicholls, One Day is a 2024 romantic drama series created by Nicole Taylor. Despite their lives drifting apart after high school, Dex and Emma reunite one day every year as their lives run parallel. Love, heartbreak, and the experience of growing apart together lie at the center of this decade-spanning love story.
- Cast
- Leo Woodall , Ambika Mod , Amber Grappy , Tim McInnerny , Jonny Weldon
- Release Date
- February 8, 2024
- Seasons
- 1
