One More Shot Review: Australian Time-Loop Comedy Forgets To Have Fun

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Movies about time loops, like Groundhog Day or Palm Springs, usually include a lighthearted section where the character enjoys the situation. However, in the Australian comedy set during the year 2000, Minnie (Emily Browning) mainly struggles and falls apart. Even though the time loop involves a close group of friends and ex-lovers, the movie is surprisingly bleak, and even the attempts at humor feel downbeat. The premise of time-traveling tequila—or rather, mezcal, complete with a worm in the bottle—sounds fun, but the film doesn’t deliver much of it.

Fortunately, Browning is a truly captivating performer. She’s really the only thing that makes this movie enjoyable, as it otherwise feels like a preachy message against drinking. The success of Groundhog Day came from its thoughtful and layered meaning. In contrast, this film is too eager to state its message directly, preventing the audience from forming their own interpretations.

Too Much Nostalgia, Not Enough Substance

Minnie, similar to characters in older, repeating-story films, tends to think of herself first. She’s overstayed her welcome on Flick and Max’s couch, consistently forgets to contribute things like ice to gatherings, and even missed the birthday of Rodney and Pia’s baby. To make matters worse, she cheated on her former fiancé, Cam, and unexpectedly runs into him at the hospital while his wife is in labor.

She’s struggling and appears to have a drinking problem. Although she doesn’t want to go to Rodney and Pia’s New Year’s Eve party, she changes her mind when she learns her ex-boyfriend, Joe, is back in Australia after living in New York. It’s a costume party with a 90s theme, and Minnie is determined to impress Joe and make him regret their breakup, so she’s planning a glamorous outfit. Everyone else is embracing the decade: Rodney is dressed as Ace Ventura, Flick and Max are John Travolta and Uma Thurman from Pulp Fiction, Joe is Kurt Cobain, his girlfriend Jenny is Courtney Love, and the awkward C-Word is dressed as George Clooney from E.R.

Rummaging through her closet for a dress, she found a bottle of mezcal a friend named Flick had given her ten years prior during a trip to Mexico she hadn’t been able to join. The bottle, labeled “The Devil’s Piss” and sealed with a wax top shaped like Lucifer, seemed normal enough. Feeling nervous before the party, she took a drink, marking a strange starting point. Later, after falling into a window and breaking her nose, she had another shot—and suddenly found herself back at the moment she’d had the first one.

Time travel in this story isn’t quite like what you’ve seen in other movies. Also, Minnie could stop time-traveling simply by refusing to drink any more of the special liquor. However, she becomes convinced the drink is a sign she needs to separate Joe and Jenny, and she starts frantically trying to make that happen.

The movie relies heavily on Minnie acting silly, and that gets old quickly. While there are a few scenes where she realizes what’s happening, it rushes past the potentially funny parts where she could be enjoying herself. Because Minnie doesn’t seem to be having fun, the audience doesn’t either.

The film’s 1999 setting feels unnecessary and confusing. The Y2K scare and focus on alcohol seem layered on top of each other, and the nostalgia isn’t strong enough to justify it. Beyond that, the time period doesn’t really add anything to the story. It also feels unearned that Minnie has so much control over her choices. She isn’t truly forced into her situation, and even when she appears to learn something, her actions still come across as self-centered.

The movie offers a valid point about how people often use substances to cover up their errors, though those errors never truly disappear. While taking responsibility is crucial, the film isn’t particularly enjoyable unless we’ve seen the characters’ journey leading up to that point.

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2025-12-06 01:58