---
title: "Only You"
year: 2019
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/only-you"
fi1m_id: "only-you"
imdb_id: "tt7531138"
tmdb_id: 513432
wikidata_id: "Q39072263"
fi1m_score: 81
critics_score: 80
critics_reviews: 11
published: "2026-10-03T00:54:00.172567+00:00"
updated: "2026-10-03T00:54:34.050376+00:00"
region: "CA"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Only You (2019)

Directed by Harry Wootliff · 1h 59m · Drama, Romance

## Identity

Only You

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/only-you
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** only-you
- **IMDb ID:** tt7531138
- **TMDB ID:** 513432
- **Wikidata ID:** Q39072263
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7531138/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/513432, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q39072263

**Fi1m score: 81** · Critics 80 from 11 reviews

*In a sentence:* Falling in love is considerably easier without a fertility clinic involved

> Laia Costa and Josh O’Connor make *Only You* a romance worth the discomfort. Its account of infertility is attentive to both partners, though a repetitive middle stretch tests the patience it otherwise earns.

## Synopsis

Elena Aldana (Laia Costa) and Jake (Josh O’Connor) fall in love and begin imagining a life together. As their relationship develops, difficulty having a child brings the demands of IVF into that shared future. Elena wants to build a family with Jake, but wanting the same thing does not make the pressures of treatment easier to bear. Their story also includes Carly (Lisa McGrillis), Shane (Stuart Martin) and Andrew (Peter Wight). The couple have to find room for their relationship while the effort to become parents takes up more of their lives.

## Review

*Only You* is an absorbing romance whose strongest asset is the time it gives to two people under pressure. Harry Wootliff takes infertility seriously, without letting it erase the attraction that makes the relationship worth caring about. We recommend it for its leads and its attention to an experience that romance can too easily tidy away. The middle stretch is repetitive, and some of the storytelling is less convincing than the performances.

Laia Costa and Josh O’Connor give the romance the necessary attraction before the strain becomes its main business. Their ease with each other matters: without it, there would be little reason to care when being together becomes harder. They allow humour to survive alongside the hurt, so the relationship never feels wholly defined by its problems. We believe these people enjoy each other’s company, which romantic dramas sometimes neglect in their hurry to make everybody miserable.

The screenplay, credited to Harry Wootliff and Matthieu de Braconier, is strongest in its treatment of infertility as a strain shared by two distinct people. There is room here for affection and frustration to exist together, and for neither person to respond neatly. We were upset by the repeated rounds of IVF, because the performances make the effort to remain close through them so painful. The film gives that effort considerable time, without requiring either partner to become an example of how to cope.

Shabier Kirchner’s cinematography contributes to the closeness without competing with the actors for attention. Its subtlety is useful in a film where emotional shifts matter more than large events. The music by Emilie Levienaise-Farrouch and production design by Andy Drummond are supporting contributions here; we would not single either out above what the leads achieve together. The film is most persuasive when the couple’s feelings are complicated enough that we cannot immediately decide what either should do.

Tim Fulford’s editing is less successful at keeping the middle section moving. Repetition may suit the subject, but it still leaves stretches in which the relationship seems to be under the same pressure for too long. We understand the difficulty before the film finishes impressing it upon us. At 119 minutes, it could lose some of that insistence without making the experience seem easy or the couple’s distress less credible.

The later storytelling also becomes more conventional, which is a disappointment after such careful attention to the couple. We will not describe its turns, but the writing begins to settle for familiar ways of moving a romance along. The actors remain persuasive even when the story stops surprising us. That matters, though it does not make the choices themselves more interesting.

We stay interested because the lovers are allowed to be imperfect. They can be funny, attractive and difficult without the film losing sympathy for either of them. This is worth an evening for anyone who wants a romance with room for uncomfortable feelings. If fertility treatment is a painful subject close to home, approach it with care.

*Fi1m score 81, published 3 October 2026.*

## What the critics say

Most critics warmly receive Only You as an intimate, emotionally mature romance, with praise clustering around Laia Costa and Josh O’Connor. Their chemistry and precise handling of the relationship’s changing pressures are the clearest points of agreement across the reviews. Harry Wootliff’s direction also earns praise for its closeness to the couple, while the treatment of infertility and IVF is widely valued for showing how that experience strains a relationship without reducing either person to their suffering.

The spread is largely positive, with reservations centred on the storytelling rather than the performances. Empire finds some repetition in the middle section, while Little White Lies considers the final act too conventional. Variety likewise sees familiar storytelling, but finds that the leads’ warmth and emotional precision compensate. These are mostly qualifications within favourable assessments, rather than evidence of a substantial split over the film’s merits.

## Straight answers

**Is Only You worth watching?**

*Only You* is worth watching for its persuasive leads and thoughtful treatment of infertility, and we score it 81 out of 100. We recommend it to anyone who wants a romance that allows affection, humour and frustration to coexist, though the repetitive middle stretch tests our patience and fertility treatment may be a painful subject for some.

**How long is Only You, and what is it rated?**

*Only You* runs 1h 59m. It is a drama and romance film.

**Where can I watch Only You in Canada?**

*Only You* is available to rent from Apple TV from CA$4.99. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service.

**How violent or frightening is Only You, and is it suitable for children?**

*Only You* has a UK 15 certificate, so it is not suitable for children under 15. The concern we would flag is emotional distress: repeated rounds of IVF put a painful strain on the couple’s relationship. Teenagers old enough for the certificate may find its adult relationship concerns demanding, while anyone affected by infertility should approach with care.

**How does Only You compare to Weekend?**

*Only You* shares [*Weekend*](https://film.one/film/weekend)’s close attention to attraction and how lovers listen, but follows a relationship under the prolonged pressure of fertility treatment rather than across a single weekend. We favour *Weekend* for a concentrated, mostly talk-driven romance; *Only You* offers a persuasive account of shared strain, though its repetitive middle and more conventional later storytelling make it less consistently satisfying.

**What should I watch after Only You?**

After *Only You*, try [*Weekend*](https://film.one/film/weekend) (2011, Fi1m 86): Another intimate romance whose attraction depends on how closely the lovers listen. Then [*45 Years*](https://film.one/film/45-years) (2015, Fi1m 88): A long marriage comes under scrutiny through small changes in two performances; and [*The Lunchbox*](https://film.one/film/the-lunchbox) (2013, Fi1m 75): A gentler romance built around loneliness, routine and the possibility of company.

### Reviews we read (11)

- **The Guardian**, Mark Kermode (90/100, inferred): Kermode gives the film an enthusiastic verdict, praising its clear-eyed, emotionally intimate portrayal of a relationship under strain. He particularly singles out Laia Costa and Josh O’Connor’s flawless performances and Harry Wootliff’s assured direction. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2019/jul/14/only-you-review-harry-wootliff-laia-costa-josh-oconnor-mark-kermode)
- **Empire**, Ian Freer (85/100, inferred): Freer finds the film a passionate, nuanced and moving romance, despite some repetition in its middle section. He especially praises Laia Costa and Josh O’Connor’s magnetic performances and the intimacy of Wootliff’s filmmaking. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/only-you/)
- **Sight and Sound**, Pamela Hutchinson (85/100, inferred): Hutchinson finds the film a remarkably mature and exceptionally romantic story about a couple growing together through suffering. She particularly praises the authentic emotional performances and the screenplay’s nuanced portrayal of infertility’s strain on a relationship. [Read](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/only-you-review-love-forged-childlessness)
- **Evening Standard**, Charlotte O'Sullivan (4/5): O'Sullivan praises the film as a lacerating, humorous romance that champions imperfection. She singles out the leads’ witty, charismatic performances and their convincing chemistry. [Read](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/only-you-review-an-earthy-romance-that-champions-imperfection-a4188426.html)
- **Little White Lies**, David Jenkins (3/4/3): Jenkins finds the romance sensitive and honest, though it falters in its conventional final act. He especially praises Costa and O’Connor’s relaxed, intuitive performances and Wootliff’s close observation of IVF. [Read](https://lwlies.com/reviews/only-you)
- **Radio Times**, Kevin Harley (4/5): Harley praises the film as an intimate, impeccably performed romantic drama. He singles out Laia Costa and Josh O'Connor for playing the relationship's emotional shifts with heartbreaking precision. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-jwq7mv/only-you/)
- **Time Out**, Phil de Semlyen (4/5): The review calls it a compassionate, complex relationship drama that delivers an emotional impact. It praises the film for bringing the experience of IVF into view. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/only-you-1)
- **Variety**, Guy Lodge (75/100, inferred): Lodge finds the film a tender, lovable relationship drama whose familiar storytelling is elevated by its leads. He especially praises the warm, unaffected chemistry and emotionally exact performances of Laia Costa and Josh O’Connor. [Read](https://variety.com/2018/film/reviews/only-you-review-1202993882/)
- **Screen Daily**, Jonathan Romney (64/100, inferred): The page identifies this as a review, but the paywall hides the critic’s verdict. The visible text singles out the romance’s gruelling rounds of IVF, without revealing the critic’s assessment of them. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/only-you-london-review/5133742.article)
- **Eye for Film**, Jane Fae (85/100, inferred): Fae finds the film a mature, intelligent and emotionally compelling portrait of a relationship under strain. She praises the script, subtle camerawork and near-flawless performances from Laia Costa and Josh O’Connor. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/only-you-2018-film-review-by-jane-fae)
- **The Skinny**, Iana Murray (★★★★): The review says the film begins like a light romantic comedy but develops into something more tender and grown-up. It singles out Wootliff’s shift toward that more mature emotional tone. [Read](https://www.theskinny.co.uk/film/cineskinny?page=4)

## Details

- **Director:** Harry Wootliff
- **Director:** Harry Wootliff
- **Writer:** Harry Wootliff, Matthieu de Braconier
- **Cinematography:** Shabier Kirchner
- **Editor:** Tim Fulford
- **Music:** Emilie Levienaise-Farrouch
- **Production design:** Andy Drummond
- **Producer:** Tristan Goligher, Claire Mundell, Matthieu de Braconier
- **Cast:** Laia Costa as Elena Aldana; Josh O'Connor as Jake; Lisa McGrillis as Carly; Stuart Martin as Shane; Peter Wight as Andrew; Sarkis Ninos as Officer Hernandez; Orion Lee as Eddie; Bobby Rainsbury as Zoe
- **Runtime:** 1h 59m
- **First release (the UK):** 19 October 2018
- **Genres:** Drama, Romance
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6R_HGs4qgw

## Where to watch in Canada

- Apple TV: rent CA$4.99, hd
- Apple TV: buy CA$11.99, sd

*Checked 2026-10-03.*

Also available in: BE, CA, ES, GB, IE, NL, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## If you liked this

- *Weekend* (2011), Fi1m 86: Another intimate romance whose attraction depends on how closely the lovers listen. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/weekend.md)
- *Private Life* (2018): A more comic account of fertility treatment, with equal sympathy for both partners.
- *45 Years* (2015), Fi1m 88: A long marriage comes under scrutiny through small changes in two performances. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/45-years.md)
- *The Lunchbox* (2013), Fi1m 75: A gentler romance built around loneliness, routine and the possibility of company. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-lunchbox.md)
- *Ali: Fear Eats the Soul* (1974), Fi1m 88: An unlikely couple face hostility that makes their private happiness harder to protect. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/ali-fear-eats-the-soul.md)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/only-you