Jmunney's Blog

Tonight! Tonight! (CREDIT: Nicole Rivelli/Universal Pictures)

Starring: Monica Barbaro, Callum Turner, Maya Hawke, Julia Fox, Molly Ringwald, LeVar Burton, King Princess, Okieriete Onaodowan, Este Haim, Ziwe, Michelle Hurd

Director: Will Gluck

Running Time: 102 Minutes

Rating: R for Frank Pent-Up Sexuality

Release Date: August 7, 2026 (Theaters)

What’s It About?: It’s been three years since the United States outlawed premarital sex, save for a single annual 12-hour period of debauchery. Ergo, One Night Only is indeed the Carnal Version of The Purge. Pizzeria owner Owen (Callum Turner) is planning to use the occasion to propose to his girlfriend (Maya Hawke), but she actually thinks that they should sleep with other people. Meanwhile, daydreamer Allie (Monica Barbaro) is a singer of commercial jingles who plans to spend the evening hunting alongside her friend (King Princess), but she ditches her almost immediately. Left to wander the streets of NYC on their own, Owen and Allie keep bumping into each other throughout the night. It sure seems like the universe is trying to tell them to hook up, but their various hangups end up making that a rather roundabout journey.

What Made an Impression?: The Political Picture: Outlawing premarital sex sounds rather dystopian to me, but the society of One Night Only comes off as just plain frustrated and exhausted rather than oppressed. So you kind of just have to roll with the premise and not worry if it’s terribly realistic or not. Although, upon further consideration, I suppose there are real world examples of citizens continuing to have social lives despite the best efforts of governments taking their rights away. It would have been interesting to see ONO grapple more with the political implications of its premise (though it does a bit), but you kind of just have to accept that it has other things on its mind.
Worst-Laid Plans: Part of the One Night Only Mandate is that anyone partaking must use protection while having relations. This leads to a series of gags in which Owen and Allie desperately venture into any bodega and health clinic they can find in search of a condom, only for every location to inevitably be out of stock. Which begs the question: why wouldn’t these establishments increase their inventory tenfold or a hundredfold for the occasion? I understand the desire to create a desperate situation from a screenwriting perspective, but it’s hard not to be disappointed by such a lack of foresight.
They’re Dancing About It Too: A different running gag that I’m much more fond of takes its aim at an odd trend in the current media landscape. When we’re introduced to Allie, she’s singing Sara Bareilles’ inspirational anthem “Brave”, but it’s actually a reworked version for a psoriasis medication commercial. We’re also treated to revamped editions of “We’re Not Gonna Take It” and “A Thousand Miles”, the latter for a personal hygiene product. If this is the fate of all pop music in the 21st century, then that sounds more oppressive than the no-sex Mandate (but hilariously so).
Do They Win Us Over?: With One Night Only leaving me with multiple questions about its approach, its potential success ultimately comes down to how charming its leads are. And they’re pretty charming! Plus, director Will Gluck (Easy A, Anyone But You) is a reliable rom-com veteran with a knack for playing around with the tropes of the genre. Plus, I would be remiss not to mention the steady hands of Molly Ringwald as Owen’s mother and LeVar Burton as her boyfriend. Ultimately, I’m in the mood to root that it all works out for Allie and Owen, at least for the one night that I’m focused on them.

One Night Only is Recommended If You Like: Cheekiness over Profundity

Grade: 3 out of 5 Mandates