“One Night Only” starts with a banner of text explaining its premise: three years ago, pre-marital sex was outlawed in the United States. “It’s been a lot,” reads the text. I think I can safely say, if this were to actually happen, that would be the understatement of the year.
If you’re like me (or like any normal person, really) you probably have some questions. But “One Night Only,” directed by rom-com regular Will Gluck and written by Travis Braun, never tries too hard to explain itself. It’s not really interested in the why – why the U.S. reverted back to Puritan-esque views on sex, or why the government decided that once a year, everyone gets 12 hours to bang whoever they want (“Purge” style – but, you know, with less murder). It’s more interested in what comes next. Namely, will two really hot people played by Monica Barbaro and Callum Turner get their act together and sleep with each other before it’s illegal again?
It’s mostly a good thing that “One Night Only” doesn’t get too in the weeds – if you think about the implications of this one too hard, it gets real dark, real fast. And the film is at its best when it doesn’t take itself too seriously, leaning into silly, “one-crazy-night” style antics. But “One Night Only” can’t quite balance its wackier nature with the earnest emotion it tries to earn by the film’s end, landing on a note that neither feels all that romantic nor all that funny.
Read Sammie’s full list on Rough Draft
