One Night Only

In a slightly altered New York City, single people are permitted to have sex on only one night of the year. Amid the chaos are Allie (Monica Barbaro) and Owen (Callum Turner), two strangers looking for connection while seemingly everyone around them is determined to make the most of their government-sanctioned night of passion.

Think The Purge meets George Orwell’s 1984, only played for romantic comedy. There is even a touch of Logan’s Run in a society that has seemingly accepted an absurd government policy regulating one of the most intimate areas of human existence. It is an exceptionally high-concept idea that taps directly into the carnal side of the human condition while appearing to make a statement about political overreach. Unfortunately, the screenplay never does enough to explain its own world.

As audiences attempt to understand how these laws come into existence or why society accepted them. The big question has to be what happens during the other 364 days of the year? There are plenty of questions, but the film seems more interested in exploiting its concept for sexual comedy than exploring the fascinating implications behind it. Somewhere amongst the sexual escapades of New York’s singles, there is actually a romance trying to emerge.

Barbaro continues to prove why she has become one of the more engaging faces of the modern romantic comedy, while Turner matches her with enough charm to make their relationship believable. The pair have genuine chemistry, but their inability to recognise the connection between them for much of the film becomes increasingly frustrating rather than endearing. This is ultimately where One Night Only loses its way.

The film wants to say something about loneliness, commitment and finding someone with whom you might actually want to spend your life. Yet these quieter moments are continually overwhelmed by the exaggerated antics surrounding them. What could have been a clever satire about a culture that has separated sex from love becomes another opportunity to push sexual humour further. There is originality here, but sometimes a film can become trapped by its own clever idea.

One Night Only attempts to redefine the romantic comedy but ultimately adds little to the genre. Beneath all the noise is the suggestion that human beings still desire something deeper than physical gratification. Unfortunately, the film spends so much time reducing humanity to its most animalistic urges that it struggles to convince us that lasting love is worth pursuing.

What should parents know?

Despite being marketed as a romantic comedy, One Night Only is firmly aimed at mature audiences. Its entire premise revolves around sexual activity, with frequent sexual conversations, innuendo, mature situations and coarse language. Parents should not mistake the familiar rom-com packaging for something intended for younger teenagers.

REEL DIALOGUE: Why has waiting for marriage become taboo?

Perhaps the most fascinating thing about One Night Only is what its outrageous premise reveals about our culture.

The film imagines a society where sex has become so regulated, anticipated and culturally important that people organise their lives around a single night of sexual freedom. Yet underneath all the chaos, its central characters seem to be searching for something remarkably traditional. They want someone who will stay.

That raises an interesting question: Why has the idea of waiting for marriage become so culturally unusual?

The Bible never presents sex as dirty, embarrassing or something Christians should fear discussing. Quite the opposite. Sexual intimacy is presented as one of God’s good gifts to humanity, designed to be enjoyed within the security and commitment of marriage.

Genesis describes marriage this way: “That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.” – Genesis 2:24

That phrase, one flesh, gives sex significance beyond physical pleasure. It involves intimacy, vulnerability, commitment and the joining together of two lives. This is why the biblical boundaries around sex are not intended to diminish pleasure but to protect something valuable.

Modern culture can make waiting for marriage sound restrictive or hopelessly outdated. Yet perhaps we have the question backwards. Instead of asking why God would restrict sex to marriage, we could ask why something this intimate should be separated from commitment in the first place.

One Night Only briefly touches on the possibility that sex might mean more when connected to love and lifelong commitment, but it never allows the idea enough room to develop. The Bible goes much further. It presents marriage as a covenant in which two people can know and be known, giving sexual intimacy a home where commitment remains after passion inevitably rises and falls.

There is also grace here. Biblical teaching about sexuality is not intended to divide humanity into those who have succeeded and those who have failed. Christianity centres on Jesus, who offers forgiveness and a new beginning regardless of our sexual history or past decisions.

Perhaps that is the conversation hiding beneath this bizarre romantic comedy – sex is a gift. Marriage gives that gift a home.

And grace reminds us that none of us is defined by the choices we’ve already made.

Where to look for more details: Genesis 2:18–25; Matthew 19:4–6; 1 Corinthians 6:18–20; 1 Corinthians 7:2–5; Hebrews 13:4.

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