hree years ago, premarital sex was outlawed in the United States. Though a nationwide chastity mandate was enacted, a 12-hour exemption period was also instituted, so that one night per year, all penalties are lifted. It may seem outrageous as a premise for a film, but it’s eerily topical, as the current government strives to encroach upon basic privacies and meddle with personal decisions. In real life, 2026’s administration has its sights set to ban prophylactics, too, but in the fictional realm of “One Night Only,” condoms are actually legally required. Who would have thought that in this dystopian vision of governmental overreach, safe sex would be a top priority?

Fortunately, despite its potential to be a straightforward cautionary tale (at many moments, it could have taken a sharp turn into genuine horror), this picture’s intentions are primarily comedic. It’s not like “The Purge” but for sexual activities as much as it’s like a modernized take on ‘50s romantic comedies (it references “An Affair to Remember” intermittently); it presents lust not as a percolating, bursting emotion so much as but one angle of lonely people pairing up after bouts of physical separation, mirrored by that very excitement causing other people to wish for something more meaningful. “There can still be love involved.” It may be frank and graphic in a handful of its sexual discussions, but it’s handled as if favoring innuendo and verbal jests rather than actual nudity and onscreen voraciousness; it’s unexpectedly tame for this subject matter, again preferring old-fashioned values in its execution.

Plus, how exactly would any of this get enforced (this isn’t portrayed in a sci-fi civilization of nonstop surveillance and policing, like in “1984” or “Equilibrium” or “V for Vendetta”)? It’s suggested that fellow citizens rat on one another, but the general intimacy of sex would surely prevent the vast majority of offenders from getting caught. And how often would people get to marriage (the ultimate goal for conservative perspectives) if they couldn’t firstly sample their compatibilities in the bedroom? Strangely, despite teen pregnancy and STI occurrences receiving statistics in this not-so-futuristic timeline, divorce rates are never uttered. One would imagine that the decree merely fosters one night stands, orgies, prostitution, exploitation, scams, or Rumspringa types of experimentations to satiate pent-up desires (it’s even described in the movie as the “least romantic night of the year”), alongside nonstop marriage/annulment cycles. As such, the setup isn’t given much more than a cursory explanation, a nod to a genuine political and social issue, quickly pushed aside for opportunities for laughs.

Thankfully, in this it’s quite effective. Owen (Callum Turner) is a pizza shop owner, while Allison Miranda (Monica Barbaro) is a singer for commercials. He’s suddenly single on the big night, owing to a girlfriend who wants to use the opportunity to sleep with a neighbor, while she’s simply been single for awhile, fixated on finding love rather than a quick release. It’s unequivocally obvious that they’re meant to be with each other, but they’ll have to navigate a bustling night of misadventures to come to that realization. Along the way, as they travel all across New York, they run into plenty of willing partners, who must be tragically character-assassinated to prevent easy intercourse (it just wouldn’t do to have either star sleep their way into the recognition of true interests); like so many classic comedies (and newer ones, too), the seemingly perfect, existing partners have to have incredibly unlikely shortcomings arise spontaneously – until only the leading duo are in the running. Consistently, the sequences in which they bump into each other and then part ways are hilarious; many of the slapstick gags are well-designed, while the one-liners and goofier supporting roles nicely supplement the stars’ largely winning personalities.

Curiously, the formulaic approach works for “One Night Only.” Extreme coincidences aren’t enough to ruin the fun and chemistry for Turner and Barbaro. They may be suspiciously attractive for characters who are meant to be pitiful, somewhat desperate, and pressured by their peers, but the satire is sound and the comic shenanigans are spirited. Perhaps most surprising is how gleefully the story plays out, showcasing positivity and benevolence, rather than embracing cynicism and ostracization; there’s chaos and nonsense, but following the couple around town as they engage in sweetly innocent mishaps proves to be an oddly pleasant, wholesome experience.

– Mike Massie