One Night Only: Movie Review

Cast: Monica Barbaro, Callum Turner, Ben Marshall, Maya Hawke, Molly Ringwald

Director: Will Gluck

After a season that's delivered action in the form of Spider-Man: Brand New Day and The Odyssey, it's back to the traditional romcom with One Night Only.

However, this one delivers a bit of a Purge-like twist.

The film follows Owen (Turner), recently dumped, and Allie (Barbaro), a hopeful romantic, who may be the only two singles in New York City looking for more than a fleeting encounter on the one night of the year that the US Government allows single people to have sex.

It's an interesting premise and idea but one that Gluck's film does little with, other than using it to build a world that creates more questions than it does answers. From background signs pushing the anti-sex message to the idea of people price gouging for condoms, there appears to have been more thought gone into the smaller details than the main storyline.

In a nutshell, One Night Only becomes an escalating farce as the pair keep meeting and denying the fact they're clearly meant to be together as they search for the elusive connection. Whether it's Owen racing across town to purchase a condom for sex or Allie literally bumping into him, the elements of a meet-cute are in play, but never quite meet their potential.

Of the two, Barbaro emerges as the better player here. Turner seems to lack any charisma in the role and the "comedy" banter they share throughout feels unnatural and forced, leading to caper-like shenanigans that never feel as serious as the world around them.

One Night Only also wants to be raunchy but can't quite escape the sweetness of its central duo or their intentions. Allie's a daydreamer, a singer who imagines the crowd adoring her and Owen's a lost soul whose girlfriend (Maya Hawke, underused) wants to explore other people on the sex night. It's all a bit lacking in the satire that the set-up suggests and feels flaccid as a timeless rom-com.

At a time when reality is pushing very close to some of the ideas contained within the film, One Night Only feels like a missed opportunity which could have made some salient points while still honouring its romcom intentions.

Instead, despite Barbaro's stellar likeability and performance, it's one date you just wish would end earlier than planned.