One Night Only – Review

Some directors are known for their expertise in a particular genre – Bay for explosive action, Flannagan for horror, Cameron for pushing special effects and so on, and filmmaker Will Gluck simply wants to tell stories about romantic relationships beyond the usual romcom schtick, usually with a rather absurd twist.

His previous flicks, Easy A (2010), Friends with Benefits (2011), and more recently, Anyone But You (2023), touched on the extreme misunderstandings that people in relationships go through but nothing beats the rather dystopic premise of One Night Only, his latest stamp on the genre that pushes strangers Owen (Callum Turner, Eternity) and Allie (Monica Barbaro, Top Gun: Maverick) together on the one night in a year where singles are legally allowed to have sex.

Don’t overthink things too much as in this disturbed United States, where guns are presumably legal, everyone has a bio-tattoo that tracks if folks are having sex and for 12 hours in a year, the tattoo on singles turns from red to green, and everyone can go at it, with protection of course.

Maybe Gluck is trying to address the rampant promiscuity in modern society, unwanted pregnancies, or touch on the insane way American society can push a belief and apply it to a whole country, but it sets up one wild night of horny America, as Owen and Allie meet, are drawn to each other, until he pukes on her.

That’s because Owen just had an omakase dinner with his girlfriend Malika (Maya Hawke, Stranger Things) and was ready to propose, until she said she wants to spend the night with some random dude who lives in their apartment building. Not wanting to waste the raw delicacies, he gorges and spews them just moments after bumping into Allie outside of her apartment.

And so begins 12 hours of meet-cute moments as they separate, meet random folks whom they hope can fulfil their own horny urges, but ultimately end up in rather bizarre situations that bring two strangers back together, constantly. From getting mugged while almost naked, to being chased by police while almost naked, to meeting seemingly normal folks they would otherwise be happy to bang but never do, the script constantly stretches the premise that these two aren’t having sex with anyone but each other, even as the film finds ways for them to not.

Instead, the film relies a lot on the natural chemistry that Turner and Barbaro also have, to connect with each other and build on the fact that these two are made for each other. Despite being extremely horny, Turner is respectful, mindful and incredibly tactful to Allie, even as he brings Vivian, a woman he meets at a club to his mother’s place to have sex, crashing in on Linda (Molly Ringwald, The Breakfast Club) having kinky bubble-wrap intercourse with her partner Rick (LeVar Burton, Star Trek: The Next Generation).

Barbaro, who picked up an Academy Award Best Supporting Actress nomination for her turn as singer-songwriter Joan Baez in A Complete Unknown (2024) is equally delightful as the adult but also rather hopeless romantic who imagines events playing out in her mind, but doesn’t always act on them if given the opportunity. 

This makes her assertive, yet indecisive Allie a rather quirky person, which she channels nicely in her interactions with men throughout the night. Turner and Barbaro dial up the charm and sell the film’s unorthodox premise, even as the film also uses a strong line-up of songs to connect with audiences. From ‘Brave’ by Sara Bareilles to Maroon 5’s ‘Payphone’, and Barbaro’s rendition of Yazoo’s (or if you prefer the acapella version by The Flying Pickets) ‘Only You’, the film’s blend of whimsy and offbeat cast of support provides a comfortable detour from the usual dredge that comes out of Hollywood… even if it’s for one night only.

HSALS

Hsals needs more space in his house, and more money in his bank account to pay for all the toys, collectibles and other geek related items that companies are churning out. Free-time? Girlfriend? Who’s got time for those?