Two New Yorkers search for love on the one night of the year when premarital sex is legal.
“One Night Only” starts with a concept so outlandish it almost eclipses everything else. In this version of America, premarital sex is against the law—except for a one 12-hour period every year when it is allowed. This arrangement raises several minor questions the film never really addresses. Fortunately, despite its dystopian gimmick, it is a warm, energetic romantic comedy, thanks to two highly likable leads.
Callum Turner plays Owen, who owns a pizza shop, and Monica Barbaro plays Allie, a singer trying to make the most of the one night when society’s normal restrictions are temporarily lifted. The two meet on a dramatic journey around New York City, where unforeseen complications keep changing their plans. The result is a mix of romantic comedy and all-night urban adventure, as Owen and Allie move from one crowded club to another, through vibrant neighborhoods and into increasingly chaotic scenarios.
The two actors, Turner and Barbaro, are the film’s biggest asset; their chemistry feels easy and natural, and it gives the story real sweetness even though its bizarre premise doesn’t suggest it at first. Turner gives Owen a pleasing mix of awkwardness and charm, and Barbaro provides Allie with enough charisma and emotional warmth to make their relationship believable. As a result, they form a couple that is worth supporting.
The film likewise makes excellent use of New York, with its streets bright, colorful, and full of activity, and scenes at clubs and out on the town at night having a contagious vitality. The city isn’t just a backdrop; it gives the movie momentum. For much of the running time, the musical interludes, physical comedy, and occasional laugh-out-loud moments keep the pace brisk.
Not all detours work, and some of the second act is slowed by a series of frantic side quests, one of which is a long search for rare condoms that isn’t nearly as funny as the film makes it out to be. Because these scenes draw focus away from Owen and Allie, it is disappointing, since their relationship is much more engaging than the artificially created chaos around them.
The dystopian idea as a whole is no more solid. The film gives no account of how its society reached this state, how the law is enforced, or how such a system could work politically or logistically. In a broad satire, the lack of detail might be more readily tolerated, but the movie never fully embraces either the examination or the mockery of its own assumptions. Those viewers who require thorough world-building will find the situation difficult to accept.
Yet the film achieves what matters most. When the odd social rules recede into the background, “One Night Only” becomes a genuine account of two people developing a connection over an unpredictable night. Turner and Barbaro carry the film through its weaker comic sections, and the vibrant New York setting gives their adventure a lot of personality.
Although the idea may seem ridiculous, the romance has real charm; “One Night Only” is an uneven but enjoyable romantic comedy that shows a pleasant central relationship can last even in the most unusual circumstances.
Available on 4K Ultra HD™, Blu-ray™, and DVD October 20th
