Film Review: One More Shot (2025) - Australia
Reviewed by Andrew Chan (Film Critic Circle of Australia)
I rated it 6.5/10
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A Fizzy, Fleeting Trip Down Memory Lane - Australian Director Nicholas Clifford's "One More Shot" arrives like a forgotten bottle of Zima discovered in the back of a Y2K-era fridge: slightly dusty, unquestionably of its time, and offering a brief, effervescent, if ultimately insubstantial, burst of flavor. It's a time-loop comedy draped in the desperate glitter and dial-up anxiety of New Year's Eve 1999, anchored by a performance from Emily Browning so energetically committed, you almost forgive the film its narrative hangovers.
Browning plays Minnie Vernon, a woman perpetually stuck on the cusp of the millennium and, more crucially, on the verge of confessing her love to the oblivious Joe (Sean Keenan). Her escape hatch? A mysterious bottle of tequila that grants her limited do-overs, shot by precious shot. Unlike Bill Murray's purgatorial eternity in "Groundhog Day," Minnie's temporal tinkering has a tangible, dwindling resource – the booze itself. This is the film's cleverest stroke, injecting genuine stakes into the repetitive structure. Each failed attempt to engineer the perfect moment with Joe isn't just frustrating; it’s literally draining her chances. The clock isn't just ticking towards midnight; it's measured in ounces.
Clifford bathes the film in a lovingly recreated late-90s aesthetic. The production design is a riot of chunky computers, butterfly clips, questionable outerwear, and the palpable, silly dread of the Y2K bug. The soundtrack pumps with era-appropriate energy. And Browning is a revelation, infusing Minnie with a manic, relatable desperation. Her chemistry with Aisha Dee, playing her grounded best friend Jenny, provides the film’s warmest, most authentic moments – a genuine friendship that often shines brighter than the central romantic quest. Browning makes Minnie’s flailing attempts endearing; you root for her even when her schemes are transparently doomed.
Yet, like a New Year's resolution made after one too many of those tequila shots, "One More Shot" struggles to fully deliver on its premise. The script, particularly in the third act, leans heavily into the well-worn "fix the past to win the guy" trope. It spends so much time having Minnie manipulate Joe's environment and reactions that her own internal journey – the growth she should experience through these repeated failures – sometimes feels like an afterthought. The film becomes more about engineering the perfect moment for him than discovering what she truly needs.
Furthermore, the rules governing the time-travel tequila possess the consistency of, well, cheap tequila after midnight. Convenient fuzziness serves the immediate comedic or dramatic need, but it ultimately undermines the ending. What should feel like a hard-earned resolution, born of Minnie's accumulated wisdom (or disastrous experiences), instead lands with a faint whiff of “deus ex machina”. Supporting characters, notably Ashley Zukerman in a role ripe for more, are reduced to mere plot functions, existing only to nudge Minnie along her predetermined path.
“One More Shot" is a pleasant diversion, a stylishly packaged hit of millennial nostalgia powered by Emily Browning's infectious performance and suitable soundtrack. It understands the specific angst and absurdity of that turn-of-the-century moment. Clifford crafts some genuinely funny sequences mined from Minnie’s increasingly desperate repetitions. But it lacks the narrative discipline and thematic depth to truly transcend its genre conventions. It plays the hits, but doesn't compose anything new.
It is, in essence, the cinematic equivalent of that New Year's Eve cocktail: brightly colored, momentarily exhilarating, sweet and fizzy on the palate. You enjoy it while it lasts. But by the time the credits roll and the real calendar flips forward, the flavor has already faded, leaving behind only the faintest, pleasant buzz of remembrance. It’s fun, it’s fleeting, and it’s ultimately more style than substance. For some nights, that’s enough. Just don’t expect it to linger much beyond the final toast. (Neo, 2025)