Director Will Gluck has made a name for himself within the romantic comedy genre with films like Easy A, Friends with Benefits, and the extraordinary box office success story of Anyone but You. It therefore felt almost inevitable that he’d return to familiar territory. Three years later, here we are with One Night Only; a The Purge-style movie, only this one is about sex. While it doesn’t quite reach the heights of his best work, it still delivers another enjoyable, albeit cheesy, time.
One Night Only follows two strangers in Owen (Callum Turner) and Allie (Monica Barbaro) on the one night of the year where pre-marital sex is legal. Their lives are polar opposites. On the surface, Owen has it made. He’s a successful pizza shop owner with a girlfriend (Maya Hawke) who he plans to marry. So this crazy night is something he wouldn’t dream of partaking in. That is until she announces over a romantic dinner that she’d quite like to sleep with their downstairs neighbor.
Allie, on the other hand, doesn’t resemble having her life together in any way. Despite being a hopeless romantic, her love life is practically non-existent outside of flings on the one night of the year, with her closest friend more than happy to ditch her for the first man she lays eyes on. Her career isn’t much better either. Dreaming of becoming a singer on stage, she instead finds herself recording rather humorous jingles for various disease pills.
With both of them down in the dumps, they each set out to embrace the chaos of the Government-mandated night. That leads to a series of chance encounters in what is far from your conventional romantic comedy, as the film slowly builds towards the inevitable question of whether these two strangers are actually meant for one another.
In trying to avoid the clichéd and predictable nature of many romantic comedies, Gluck alongside screenwriter Travis Braun have created a movie that suffers from tonal whiplash. The first half is distinctly comedic, centered around Owen and Allie’s search for an elusive condom. The pair rarely even share screen-time outside of a handful of fleeting encounters while attempting to score with someone else. As a result, the film lingers a little too long before embracing the romance at its core.
It’s almost exactly at the halfway point that the tone shifts into something much more romantic, finally pairing Owen and Allie together for extended stretches as their connection begins to blossom. It’s here that the film really excels. Their relationship is incredibly infectious and viewers will inevitably find themselves rooting for them to get together.
Within their romance, it was also refreshing to see Gluck and Braun remind audiences there’s still something genuinely sweet about two people forming a real intellectual connection. In a time where we’re perhaps at our most superficial, especially given the frantic world the characters are thrown into, that feels surprisingly sincere. It’s handled with a subtle touch that, for the most part, really works.
That is, of course, aided by the palpable chemistry that Callum Turner and Monica Barbaro share from the very beginning. Turner is at his charismatic and charming best, with his vulnerability making Owen instantly endearing. Barbaro matches him brilliantly, bringing a vibrant, witty energy that balances him out perfectly. Together they ensure every scene they share feels electric. If anything, the film’s biggest mistake is keeping them apart for so long, as you’ll likely leave wishing they’d spent even more time together.
Arguably though, it’s not even the main stars who steal the show. That honor belongs to Mateo Ray who, despite only appearing for around three minutes and having almost nothing to do with the main story-line, delivers the biggest laugh-out-loud moments of the entire film. Every one-liner lands effortlessly thanks to comedic timing well beyond his years.
One Night Only is set three years after the mandate was introduced and, naturally, viewers will have plenty of questions. Braun’s script doesn’t delve into extensive detail and certainly asks audiences to suspend their disbelief, but it doesn’t shy away from offering a few satirical political jabs either. Through mostly exposition-heavy scenes in the first act, it becomes clear those jibes are aimed at the current administration and how involved it has become in the everyday lives of citizens. There’s even the suggestion a mandate such as this isn’t too far from becoming a reality if we simply sit back and take it. While the satire never feels especially subtle, it adds just enough bite to elevate the premise beyond being little more than a high-concept romantic comedy.
The way the mandate is enforced has also clearly been given some thought, with every citizen fitted with biosensors that remain red throughout the year before turning green during the annual 12-hour window. Through the power of 5G, they’re apparently capable of detecting when the law has been broken. Condoms are also mandatory, although exactly how that part is enforced is left entirely to the audience’s imagination.
As you’d probably expect if you’ve seen any of Gluck’s previous films, the soundtrack is another major strength, bound to have audiences bopping along while also showcasing some terrific vocals from Barbaro herself. Even during the slower opening half, it’s easy to remain invested because the music fits the film’s overall vibe so well.
While One Night Only certainly isn’t without its flaws and may lose a few people during its slower first half, the second half ranks among this year’s most enjoyable feel-good cinema experiences. It builds towards a romantic climax that’s satisfying enough to make many of the earlier shortcomings easier to forgive. It may not be an instant classic, but as romantic comedies go, it’s one that’s absolutely worth the price of admission.
