As the calendar flipped to July 1st, nearly 130 new films and TV series were added to the U.S. Netflix library. With July 4th weekend and the stresses and responsibilities of everyday life, it’s completely understandable if you didn’t have the time to comb through every single new title. In fact, it’s healthy. But, if you are looking for something new to watch among Netflix (NFLX)’s latest additions, there’s one title in particular that seems to be gaining stream.
Only made its debut at the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival before receiving a limited theatrical release in early March shortly before the coronavirus pandemic forced a national theater closure. In its own perverse way, that’s a fitting route to the mainstream as the film follows a couple who must endure self-imposed quarantine and elude authorities after a mysterious virus proves lethal to the world’s female population.
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If Outbreak and Contagion could attract mass at-home viewership during this pandemic then it’s only a matter of time until the morbid curiosity of Netflix’s 60 million-plus domestic subscribers turns to Only. The film stars Freida Pinto (Slumdog Millionaire) and Leslie Odom Jr. (Hamilton) as Will and Eva, who are forced into hiding after bounty hunters and the government begin rounding up women after 10 million females are killed by the mysterious virus. Chandler Riggs (The Walking Dead) co-stars and Takashi Doscher directs.
“The quarantine. The protocol. This is a prison,” Eva says in the trailer. Hitting a little bit too close to home? It’s worth noting that our protagonists eventually resort to full-body protection equipment when they venture outside, so the least everyone else in the real world can do is #WearaMask.
Only received mixed-to-negative reviews from critics upon its release, collecting a 40 percent on Rotten Tomatoes and a 53 on Metacritic. Variety‘s Lisa Kennedy wrote that “a dramatic quietude lifts this indie above the tumult of many exploitative, apocalyptic thrillers,” while The Hollywood Reporter‘s Frank Scheck wrote, “There’s something wrong when you’re watching a post-apocalyptic thriller and all you can think about is how much the central characters would benefit from couples therapy.” But if a polarizing film like 365 DNI could light up Netflix’s viewership board, Only stands a good chance at drawing attention as well.
Happy bingeing!
