"One Night Only" directed by Will Gluck with imagines a United States where premarital sex is illegal except for one 12-hour window each year. Despite this bold "Purge"-style premise the film turns out to be a mild romantic comedy rather than the daring satire its setup suggests.
The story follows Owen (Callum Turner) a Manhattan pizzeria owner whose engagement plans collapse when his girlfriend decides to sleep with someone else on the designated night. Meanwhile Allie (Monica Barbaro) a singer who records pharmaceutical jingles is pushed by friends to join the citywide revelry. The two strangers meet by chance and spend the night wandering New York together also encountering nightclubs, product-placement gags and romantic near-misses.
Rather than exploring the strange implications of its dystopian law, the film focuses on old-fashioned romance and making it more chaste than its sex-comedy marketing implies. Its sharpest commentary targets modern hookup culture rather than government overreach though it never fully commits to either angle.
What keeps the film watchable is the chemistry between its leads. Turner, previously seen in last year's "Eternity" continues to shine in romantic roles while Barbaro known for ensemble films like "Top Gun: Maverick" and "A Complete Unknown" gets a rare chance to headline and proves she can carry a film on her own.
Cameos from Sydney Sweeney, Glen Powell and Pete Davidson add extra star power but the film ultimately feels like a missed opportunity neither risky enough for its premise nor sweet enough as pure romance.
"One Night Only" is rated R and releases in theaters on Thursday. Runtime: 102 minutes. Rating: Two out of four stars.
