One Night Only

 

This review may contain spoilers!

One Night Only is a romantic comedy set in an alternate-reality America, where it is illegal to have premarital sex all year bar one night. When Owen's partner leaves him to explore her own sexual desires, he is left to work out what this night will mean for him. While Allie doesn't want a hook-up, she wants to find a love story of her own. Will these two find what they're looking for, and could it be with each other?

I think sometimes a romantic comedy being willing to have a bonkers premise can actually elevate it. The big thing that this film has going for it, in truth, is this insane concept that sex is only available for single people one night of the year. There's an early point of the film where a Secretary (Franke) is explaining the political right-wing landscape that justifies this unusual setting. Across the film, we learn that everyone had to consent to a bio-scanner that tracks if you're engaged in sex year-round. It's entirely dystopian and yet the most unbelievable part of the film is how nonplussed everyone seems about it all. This film occasionally stands up and talks about what living under such a mandate feels like, but most of the time it's all being played for comedy. I mean Flavor Flav is the televised celebrity leading the one night of sex countdown. Don't get me wrong, watching Monica Barbaro and Callum Turner start a condom heist or, through a comedy of errors, wind up in a police station is entertaining. But more often than not, One More Night doesn't have much going on with the story it's telling, feeling confident in placing our protagonists in embarrassing comedic scenarios.

The big issue I struggled with in One Night Only is that the core relationship just didn't impress me that much. Owen and Allie feel like they are pushed into the path of one another, and as a result we should be invested in their relationship. But there are so many awkward moments, or points where their path towards one another just comes across a little forced. The ending at the lighthouse is a good example of a moment that feels signposted from a million miles away. Yet, even though we see it coming as an audience, there's disappointment seeing Owen meet her just outside the lighthouse holding two cups of coffee. There's a strangely chaste quality to the ending that feels like the story is saying there's less romance in a sexual connection. The film just really stumbles about a lot, unsure of its own position and trying to appeal to a wide audience over telling an engaging story.

Beyond those points around chemistry, I still have to say that Monica Barbaro and Callum Turner give some of the best acting in the film. These leads really do stand out in a big way even if their relationship dynamic needed a little more work. Barbaro is playing someone who is really seeking a genuine connection and keeps taking an unfortunate wrong turn. She also gets a chance to sing throughout the film, and an already stunning soundtrack is all the better for that. While Callum Turner is a simple, charismatic gentleman who winds up being a bit of a bumbling himbo at times. Turner gets to lead the comedy of this feature, which means he really puts himself out there across the film and delivers some great laughs.

I have a lot of faith in Will Gluck's ability to construct a romantic comedy; he's got Easy A and Anybody But You under his belt. This is a film that really captures a wildly adventurous New York in a very indie style. I really found that this film had a gentle comfort and gracefulness to the way the camera captured this nighttime setting. Even if there were times the film lost its own sense of pace due to the editing, one of the strengths was inevitably how gorgeous it all looked.

This film is an interesting peppering of talent. Quintessa Swindell as Barbaro's hype woman is great, but not half as brilliant as the comedic talent of Mateo Ray, the kid you hate to babysit. Allie also hooks up with Max, played by Andrew Burnap, who is a charming conman who really steals a good chunk of this movie. Sydney Cole Alexander has a similarly great scene with Turner, for that matter. Maya Hawke really grounds the story as Turner's frivolous girlfriend who doesn't want to sleep with him the one night she can. Callum Turner also lucks out with a very fun duo for his parental figures, his Mum being portrayed by Molly Ringwald and LeVar Burton, the man she is hooking up with.

There are some performances I just didn't understand the point of, or that felt like gratuitous cameos. The movie has this very intrusive scene in which Bobby Cannavale and Pete Davidson are portraying themselves filming a cop film. It's a weird, disruptive moment that doesn't even succeed in feeling funny. King Princess contributes well to the soundtrack but isn't very believable as Barbaro's friend. Michelle Hurd's detective role disappears in this like smoke. Julia Fox apparates into this for a second as a prospective hook-up option for Turner, which is a boring use of her. The film even takes the characters out to a New York celebrity party, which is an odd setting for the film to divert to. It's probably the weakest portion of the feature, except for introducing Craig Gillespie's douchebag musician and giving a good piece of music from Barbaro. I wish I could forget Ella Loudon's Vivian role, quite an uncomfortable character at times. 

An unusual premise that catapults the film before sending it plummeting. I would give One Night Only a 4.5/10.