When it comes to fixing the past, everyone yearns for one more shot.

In One More Shot, we’re introduced to Minnie (Emily Browning), a woman in her mid-30s who is struggling to get through the day. As New Year’s Eve approaches (in 1999, no less), Minnie’s preference is to stay at home and let the Millenium slip by undetected. However, her plans change when she discovers that her ‘what if’ guy is attending her friend’s New Year’s bash. Suddenly motivated to get out and get moving, she nervously brings the only thing she has to the party: a ten-year old bottle of Tequila (or is it Mescal?). Things go poorly at the party until she takes a quick swig of the bottle, resetting the evening and giving her one shot after another at redemption.

Directed by Nicholas Clifford, One More Shot is a genuinely funny time travel tale that starts out feeling familiar but ends up spinning a story all its own. It goes without saying that One More Shot will draw comparisons to Bill Murray’s classic comedy, Groundhog Day. Both films feature a self-absorbed protagonist who discovers their own remarkable ability to time travel. Throughout their journeys, both Minnie and Murray’s Phil Connors learn more about themselves as they look for redemption through unlikely (and unrequited) love. And, of course, both lead to darkly comic scenarios, even to the point of death.

What’s more, there’s no denying that the film is buoyed by a deliciously malicious performance by Browning. As Minnie, Browning is both lovable and frustrating to watch. She’s entirely relatable in her endeavours—After all, who doesn’t wish that they could correct the mistakes of their past?—and yet her intentional disruption of her friends’ world feels almost diabolical at times. Even so, Browning walks this line with furious charm. We cannot help but love her but neither can we always justify her actions.

In this way, it’s entirely appropriate that the film would be set around the turn of the 21st Century. With the ‘terror’ of Y2K looming large, it was a time when everyone was especially reflective on their past while, at the same time, looking towards the future. For a generation, it felt like a turning point. And so too is it for Minnie. Taking one more shot at fixing her life, Minnie finally wants to do things the right way, even if she has to do it the wrong way to accomplish it. Though, Shot differentiates itself from Groundhog in one very significant way.

Whereas Groundhog Day focuses on the present, One More Shot sits firmly in the past.

Minnie views every drink that she takes as an opportunity to right her biggest missed opportunity. Every additional ‘shot’ is another ‘shot’ at redemption. (Hence, the double meaning of the title.) She replays the evening over and over in an attempt to get things ‘right’… or, at least, finally get what she has always wanted.

In doing so, Minnie also shows her obsession with fixing the past. Unlike Phil Connor’s (initially) selfish sexual escapade, this isn’t only a journey about getting what you want now. It’s a chance for Minnie to do that one thing she always wished that she had the courage to do. And every roadblock she faces makes it more difficult to accomplish her mission.

But, without giving any spoilers, Minnie isn’t the only one fueled by regret either. While her other friends seem to be getting along fine, we get a glimpse into the ways that time hasn’t always been kind to them. Poor choices in their youth have left scars on her friends and their families. Bitterness and anger have settled in because of the past, causing friction in their present-day relationships.

It’s here that Shot shows its maturity. There’s a very real recognition that the struggles of the past can’t always be fixed but, maybe, they can be corrected into the future. There’s an understand that the moments that have shaped us still matter, even if they aren’t always what we wished for ourselves. Mistakes are made. Times are hard. Yet they can help build us into more responsible (and more caring) human beings.

And it’s that hopeful spirit imbues One More Shot. With every drink she takes, Minnie attempts to figure out who she was and, most importantly, who she wants to be. There’s joy in every shot, even when it leads to disaster. And that’s worth toasting.

One More Shot is available on VOD/Digital on Friday, December 12th, 2025.