Will Gluck returns to the big screen to direct One Night Only, adding to his rom-com film resume of Anyone but You, Friends with Benefits, and Easy A. Some people online have been calling this movie The Purge, but for sex, aka ‘The Sex Purge.’ One Night Only follows two strangers, Allie and Owen, trying to find love on the one night of the year when premarital sex is legal—due to what this movie world calls The Mandate. One can only imagine how much pent-up sexual fury builds up in a whole year, 364 days in a year of no premarital sex.
If Gluck’s Anyone but You was a good rom-com, One Night Only was a great rom-com. The gimmick of everyone having sex anywhere and everywhere across New York City worked to fill the b-roll, and somehow the enormous cameo cast list. While most of the background makeout sessions and sexual intercourse were extras, there were multiple one-off appearances around Monica Barbaro and Callum Turner.
It felt like I was watching Valentine’s Day or New Year’s Eve again, minus the branching storylines. The random appearances added some random comedic beats here and there. I also appreciated how the irregular sexual fetishes were implied, and the movie was not just a full-blown orgy. Essentially, the movie navigated the topic of sex and The Mandate with some humour, but still tasteful.
However, the way Gluck and cinematographer Yaron Orbach shot every set piece in this movie was a double-edged sword. In the same way that the Spider-Man films showed various parts of NYC, One Night Only truly showcased the Empire State city in its purest form. The part that took me out of it was how much brand placement, or fake brands, were incorporated. It felt like this film was partially an ad to promote NYC’s services, such as the convenient bike services. I got an inkling that this movie could have almost been commercialized to boost NYC tourism.
On the flip side, I appreciated how Gluck captured the dingy and lived-in parts of NYC where the two protagonists traverse throughout the movie. A lot of rom-coms set in NYC tend to sanitize the look of the city, but One Night Only showed the dirtier, real sides of NYC. While I am not from NYC, it made me reminisce and compare NYC to Toronto’s similar looks. All this is to say, the set looks and locations chosen for this film made me connect with this story more because of how grounded it appeared. They also chose some spots that were a bit more uncommon to see on film.
“One Night Only truly showcased the Empire State city in its purest form.”
The music and score of One Night Only featured Este Haim of the trio sister band Haim, along with composer Christopher Stracey. The two previously collaborated together on the music for Netflix mini-series Maid and Gluck’s last major feature, Anyone but You. The music and score in One Night Only had a city pop theme, featuring some original tracks. There were no groundbreaking sounds in the score, but I noticed how much the music choice mattered in this film.
Barbaro’s Allie was a commercial singer, and the music used for her character worked for her. I did not expect to hear Barbaro’s powerful singing voice in a rom-com as much as the movie’s plot did. Audiences who can appreciate some comedic singing will appreciate that element in this date-night feature. Barbaro was just as charming with her singing voice as she was with her line/joke deliveries. Her counterpart was just as charming too.
Turner as the pizza restaurant owner Owen was both sexy and goofy. Coming off of his other fun rom-com role in last year’s Eternity, Turner knows his physical comedy strengths. He had some good line/joke deliveries in One Night Only and Eternity too, but this performance solidified his affinity for physical comedy. Yes, the situations he was put in within the plot of this film helped, but it is Turner’s facial expressions and actions that made me laugh the most.
The main critique of this rom-com sex-crazed adventure circled around the political commentary about The Mandate itself. It kind of added a layer or dimension to the storyline, but also detracted from the romance and comedy aspects. There was a Barack Obama joke here, some talk of fascism, and a whole bit more surrounding the political sphere of The Mandate. The rules were a bit confusing to understand at first too, especially with the exceptions of having sex for those who are married. I did not expect much focus on the political issues of The Mandate, which distracted and slowed down some of the fun bits.
One Night Only brought a rare wild and fun romance-comedy vibe, which many new rom-coms have been lacking. Rom-coms of late either lack chemistry between the leads or don’t let their characters have fun and explore why they should choose each other. If you are looking for the perfect date night movie to cap off the 2026 summer, this is the one. Grab your partner, your friends, and your whatevers for a raunchy, fun time at the theatre!
