One Night Only

Original doesn’t always mean good and, to further go against most every review I’ve ever written, not all ‘Black Mirror-esque’ ideas necessarily make for great films.

One Night Only is, however, an interesting one and might be fairly divisive.

So, against what you may see from the trailers and posters, this is a romantic comedy film but set very much in some sort of quasi-future, dystopian version of America where The Purge is real except, instead of crime being legal for one night, pre-marital sex is legal for one night and banned otherwise.

This much is revealed in an opening title card and, initially, it’s an absolutely bizarre, faintly ridiculous idea that spoils most of the beginning of the film as you in the audience go through all of the scenarios and potential plot holes that situation would inevitable throw up in your head.

Then, somehow, it kind of explains how this all works in some exposition delivered through news reels and smartly introduces some background elements clearly suggesting most people are against the idea.

However, the rest of the film largely just plays like a standard, fluffy rom-com where everyone has just accepted that this is the norm.

There’s two schools of thought here.

Being extremely negative, this almost scans as some sort of autocratic, government-mandated film preparing people for the eventual reality of this premise.

There’s a vague haze of ‘this film has been approved’ to the whole thing, almost sent from the future. There’s no religious mention that I caught but it almost feels as if there’s that sort of messaging in here too.

On the other hand, this is a super breezy, largely fun and traditional rom-com that zigzags appropriately, contains a nutty premise that you eventually accept and is helpfully anchored by two excellent lead performances from Monica Barbaro and Callum Turner.

There’s some great and unexpected cameos, solid direction and the (literal) climax is earned.

There is, however, far too much singing (yes, really) and the film grinds to a halt every time this happens.

So, it’s two films in one. If this perhaps made more of a ‘political statement’ (which, of course, it doesn’t need to do) or at least felt a little more dystopian, it could soar.

If the premise wasn’t there at all, or at least toned down, it’d probably work as a mindless watch.

If it really is sent from a future, fascist state then we should all be worried.

For a romantic comedy, it is both unnecessarily bizarre, potentially harmful propaganda and also harmless fluff. I guess you decide whether you want to swipe left or right on that.

⭐️⭐️⭐️