In a world … where sex is outlawed for singles except for one day of the year … The genre could be action, horror, or anything in between with this Purge-esque premise, but One Night Only is a romantic comedy through and through. Allie (Monica Barbaro) and Owen (Callum Turner) are not like the other horny freaks in New York City. They’re looking for love, and they dread the pressures of the one night a year where they can get their rocks off. But as they seek out a connection with myriad questionable oddballs, their continuous run-ins with one another start to mean something bigger.
In our discussion, it was difficult not to get into the weeds of the logistics of such a specific fascist circumstance. Allie’s queer roommate Arya (Quintessa Swindell) makes a comment in passing that gay people have been able to evade the strict laws that use sensors to detect sexual encounters, implying the government doesn’t mind two women together. The selective conservatism is a head scratcher, but the film is ultimately trying to be more satirical about our current political state than prescriptive. Think: Don’t Look Up (2021).
This is a profoundly straight film, but as far as iconic rom-coms go, that’s more of a return to form for the genre, for better or for worse. The token gay best friend, the white man and woman poking fun at one another as they fall in love, and the setting of the city that never sleeps have all been cornerstones of major romantic comedies, particularly in the golden age of the 2000s. Does the formula work in 2026? Yes and no.
One Night Only struggles with commitment to one stance on or presentation of sex. In a movie that tries to joke about how immediately everyone starts going to town when the mandate is lifted, it’s surprisingly PG in the sexual acts or foreplay we see, if you can call it that. Perhaps it’s an attempt at casting a wider net for audiences, but given the premise, surely the puritans wouldn’t buy tickets in the first place. Director Will Gluck has proven he’s capable of navigating sex in rom-coms with hits like Easy A (2010) and Friends With Benefits (2011), but again, the 2000s and early 2010s were a different time.
This indecisive position is made particularly evident by the fact that, spoiler alert, we never see our lead pair have sex. The closest they get is Allie’s imagined makeout, or Owen’s closing of their bedroom door at the end of the film. When they finally get alone together with 11 minutes left before the mandate returns, they’re about to get going when Owen suggests they wait a year, instead of “letting the mandate win.” A man in the audience with me said out loud, “Bro, are you serious?” Our whole theater laughed.
That’s not the reaction you’d want from what was meant to be a sweet, romantic moment. It feels undercut by the entire movie’s buildup, and the subject matter focusing on sex. The pair get into a frenzied condom chase where they rob a store together and have to fish the condom out of a storm drain. Their flirty discussion involves asking what one another’s favorite part of sex is. They’ve each gone to bars all night looking to take someone home. So why does the film cut them off as we crave the connection right alongside them to the point of this man voicing what my whole theater felt?
“Love is bigger than a one-night stand” is an understandable rom-com thesis. But in this attempted messaging, it seems to position our leads in a rather conservative light. They obey the mandate, and their “defiance” of it is following it to a T for an entire additional year.
My grievances, however, end here (aside from Maya Hawke’s stiff and unconvincing performance). Rom-coms are a genre built for fun, and I want to sing the praises of this one in accomplishing that. Each lead, their endearing triumphs and plunders, and the chemistry between them make this an engaging film that had me chuckling consistently. Just as Nolan says The Odyssey should be watched on 70 mm IMAX for the most authentic experience, I watched this film in New York City for full immersion, and felt inspired to go to a nightclub on a Thursday. That’s a great feeling for a film to leave you with: youthful hope, extroverted energy, and post-laughter endorphins.
And while The Odyssey is an intense drama with a distractingly star-studded cast, One Night Only’s romantic comedy status makes the celebrity guest appearances work perfectly. Every time a New York icon or Hollywood hottie appeared onscreen, the theater I was in erupted in laughter and reactions. We were well fed watching goofy cop actor Pete Davidson, flirty bartender Julia Fox, and bossy bouncer Ziwe.
The heavy-handed foreshadowing of an Empire State Building sunrise being the way they find each other in the end was subverted in a satisfying way. Veronika Slowikowska’s cameo was the cherry on top. Only time will tell if this film obtains a spot in the coveted rom-com rotation, but for now, it’s a great summer watch, and I hope to see more like it.
Review Courtesy of Risa Bolash
Feature Image Credit to Universal Pictures