‘One Night Only Movie’ Review: Sex & Celibacy Satire Falls Flat

It’s a shag-a-palooza every August seventh in a fascist United States where all pre-marital sex is outlawed except for 12 steamy hours on that night. That means consenting adults, who have been duly electronically tagged, can get down and dirty without fear of government recourse. But if otherwise caught fornicating, there are no public lashings, stonings, decapitations, or anything more severe than a stern scolding by law enforcement. So a New York City resplendent with gorgeous, thin, muscular models can eschew celibacy in the hope of finding true love or getting your pent-up, freaky groove on.

This is the spectacularly uneven premise of One Night Only, the latest sex-obsessed romcom from Friends with Benefits and Anyone but You director Will Gluck. He’s par for the course with the usual smattering of naughty laughs and an attempt at edgy satire that doesn’t quite make sense. We’re introduced to Allie (Monica Barbaro), a singer of pharmaceutical commercial jingles, and Owen (Callum Turner), a pizza shop owner, who’re both looking to have something more meaningful than a romp in the hay. Allie’s on the hunt for someone new and exciting, while Owen gets a rude awakening when his girlfriend (Maya Hawke) decides to test the waters elsewhere.

Their paths repeatedly cross in crazy misadventures as they both try to make a connection. These chance encounters then become utterly absurd, as two people who have genuine chemistry can’t get over the hump. You’re left dry with anticipation because the obvious spark sensed by viewers in the last row somehow doesn’t filter to the protagonists made for each other like peas and carrots. This teasing drags on mercilessly until a climax that should have happened way sooner and definitely isn’t fulfilling. There’s a bit of irony that’s lost on Gluck as he makes the romance and coupling incredibly boring after such a long wait.

Let’s take a step back and analyze what works before punching holes in the paper-thin plot. Barbaro and Turner are good actors who have palpable chemistry. Their early scenes together are playful and funny for the right reasons. Screenwriter Travis Braun, known for his children’s TV series (Pupstruction, T.O.T.S.), has a running gag where any product sex related becomes insanely expensive and scarce as the demand for Durex condoms and K-Y Jelly hits surge pricing. The brand integration must have paid for the budget because the camera purposely lingers on these items throughout. You can’t help but chuckle as securing a prophylactic makes The Odyssey feel like casual sailing.

One Night Only comes apart at the seams when the restrictions and enforcement are variable depending on the situation. The idea of branding someone with a tattoo is abhorrent and invokes historical context. But Big Brother doesn’t care if you’re bumping uglies on the sidewalk in plain view of kids and animals, as long as it’s done within the allowed period. It’s essentially The Purge with sex, but the leads are the only ones not having it. The runaround gets old quickly and had this reviewer focusing on the background action, which shouldn’t be the case with talent like Barbaro and Turner.

There are places in this world where pre-marital sex warrants execution, so the softball approach here seems lacking to the critical eye. Gluck could have made a bolder statement on abstinence decrees and how that’s actually adjudicated, but that gets the film banned in certain markets and profits are king. There does exist a middle ground where the salacious elements in One Night Only could have a sharper satirical tone without being too glaring. That’s not the case and the film suffers because of it. Gluck needs a willing suspension of disbelief that does not require a deeper exploration of sensitive themes.

Universal Pictures

That said, it’s understood that most audiences prioritize entertainment value above all. They want to see gorgeous actors in bare skin and skimpy outfits getting personal. There’s never a doubt where fate will take Allie and Owen. They just needed more screen time together. A big chunk of the film has them swinging and missing with a variety of other partners. These scenes lose flavor after the first act and tedium takes hold. The parade of weirdos treads into filler territory and is gradually less comical. Gluck and longtime editor Tia Nolan fatten the edit when One Night Only should have been a brisk 90-minute film. The runtime isn’t that much longer, but the drag factor’s evident as the final act crawls to the credits.

One particular visual cue had the cynic in me confounded. The leads are random strangers. Gluck has scene after scene of them walking by smoking hotties and getting the bedroom eyes at every corner. You’d think, especially when frustration reaches a fever pitch, they’d each just turn to the next possibility on the street and take a long shot. That would certainly have been more efficient than traipsing through every bar, restaurant, and party hunting for intercourse with the 12-hour timer ticking down like a sex bomb.

Release Date

August 7, 2026

Runtime

103 Minutes

Writers

Travis Braun