One Night Only is a very high concept rom-com, set in a world where pre-marital sex is illegal, everyone has a chip in the body which measures if they are having sex or not, and there is a Purge like night where singles can have sex for a 12 hour period. On that night our two heroes meet, bicker, and fall in love (the perpetual rom-com formula) while the clock for their window to have sex ticks down. Does it work? My answer would be sort of....
One Night Only struggles to figure out what it is trying to be. Is it a straight up rom-com just set in this dystopian plot or is it a critique of social norms told through the lens of love in a 1984-yet-modern world? It will occasionally have moments of sharp commentary on sexual control by societal norms. One of my favourite lines is when a queer woman says to (her friend) our leading lady "Tonight is for the straights. We have been dancing around your laws for many years." But more often than not the film leans into its rom-com sensibilities where we're obsessed with the will-they-or-won't-they even though we konw damn well they will cause they always do in these things.
And when it is being its most rom-comy it's kind of rote. It pretends to have an edge by having its leads keep being distracted with potential hook-ups with other characters that come along. But in its over-predictable way the film keeps bringing them back together, going through the motions of trying to create some barrier to their eventual "Empire State Building moment" which we all know is coming. If it wasn't for its two charming leads the film likely would fail entirely but Turner and Barbaro are just so damn cute together. Both are better than this film and they elevate it making it rather watchable despite its predictability.
Director Gluck hasn't really directed a strong film since way back with Easy A and One Night Only isn't a return to greatness. Is One Night Only going to be bring back the rom-com genre? No. There are some questionable choices (such as a 12 year old character that keeps making sexual innuendo?!?). But there is also a pairing that feels like it needs a better movie who at least make this one as watchable as it is.
One Night Only
Starring: Monica Barbaro, Callum Turner, Maya Hawke, Molly Ringwald, LeVar Burton, Michelle Hurd, Pete Davidson, Bobby Cannavale
Director: Will Gluck
Writer: Travis Braun
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