An original concept doesn’t necessarily mean it is also a good concept. That certainly applies to One Night Only. The new romantic comedy from director Will Gluck revolves around a rather unusual premise: for one night each year, single people are allowed to have sex. Owen and Allie, however, are looking for something more than just a fleeting encounter.
On paper, this is a premise that could go in all kinds of interesting directions. In practice, One Night Only mainly uses it as an excuse to have a group of people spend an entire night chasing each other around, cheating on their partners, and behaving like overheated, horny teenagers.
And whether that is really the kind of movie everyone has been waiting for is certainly debatable.
An Original Concept, But Does It Work?
One Night Only at least makes an effort to explain its unusual premise. The film clearly wants to establish how this strange world works and why this particular night is so important to the people living in New York.
The problem is that explaining how a concept works is not the same as making the concept actually work.
Because once you start thinking about the premise for more than a few minutes, quite a few questions begin to arise. Why exactly is the world like this? What are the social consequences? How have relationships and fidelity changed? And how do people deal with the moral boundaries created by such a situation?
All of these could have been interesting questions for One Night Only to explore.
One Night Only Chooses Comedy Over Substance
There is certainly enough material here to explore some moral themes. Infidelity, fidelity, desire, relationships and the way people interact with one another are all right there for the taking.
But One Night Only skillfully avoids most of them.
That isn't necessarily a problem. Not every comedy needs to be deep or thought-provoking, and it is clear that Will Gluck primarily wanted to make a light and entertaining romantic comedy. Choosing entertainment over deeper themes does not automatically make the film shallow.
But it does make it rather superficial and simplistic.
The movie mainly wants to be funny, while largely ignoring the more interesting questions raised by its own premise. As a result, the world in which the story takes place ultimately feels more like a convenient gimmick designed to create a series of comedic situations.
A Likeable Cast Can't Save Every Story
Fortunately, the cast is one of the better aspects of One Night Only. Monica Barbaro and Callum Turner make for a likeable central duo and bring enough chemistry to keep their characters interesting. Maya Hawke and Julia Fox also provide some much-needed energy.
The actors are fun, and the characters work reasonably well. The problem is that the story doesn't always do them justice.
The characters are likeable. The actors are likeable. Some of the situations are likeable. But the overall story too often feels as though a whole bunch of ideas were thrown together without ever becoming one genuinely strong narrative.
The Humor Is Fast-Paced, But Not Enough
Anyone who enjoys fast-paced comedy will probably find plenty to laugh at here. The dialogue moves quickly and the film has a lively pace. There is very little downtime, with One Night Only constantly throwing new situations and jokes at the audience.
And at times, this works surprisingly well.
But humor can only do so much to hide a weaker concept. Ultimately, One Night Only still depends on its central premise being interesting enough to carry an entire movie.
Unfortunately, it doesn't quite manage that.
Watching a bunch of people chase after each other, cheat on their partners and behave as though they have been locked away for years and are finally allowed to let their hormones run wild can certainly be entertaining. But whether you want to spend 100 minutes watching exactly that is another question.
A Better Love Story Could Have Saved This Movie
Perhaps the most interesting thing about One Night Only is that somewhere underneath all the chaos, there is actually a much better and more effective love story hiding.
The relationship between Allie and Owen genuinely has potential. Their search for something sincere on a night that is supposedly all about fleeting pleasure is actually a much more interesting premise than the concept the movie keeps surrounding itself with.
There is a romantic comedy hidden in there that could have been both funny and genuinely heartfelt.
Unfortunately, that story doesn't always get the attention it deserves. The film is too busy exploring its bizarre world and the comedic situations that come with it.
And that ultimately makes One Night Only feel like a movie that deserved a better story and perhaps even a better concept.
One Night Only Review – Conclusion
One Night Only isn't a disastrous romantic comedy. The cast and much of the humor are simply too enjoyable for that. Monica Barbaro and Callum Turner make for a pleasant duo, the supporting characters provide plenty of energy, and the film regularly manages to put a smile on your face.
But the central concept remains a problem.
An original concept doesn't automatically make it a good concept. One Night Only tries to explain its unusual premise, but never quite manages to make it clear why this concept should actually work as the foundation for an entire movie.
The film consistently chooses comedy and entertainment over exploring the interesting moral and social questions raised by its premise. As a result, what remains is a rather superficial and simplistic romantic comedy.
Somewhere inside this movie, however, there is a genuinely enjoyable love story. A story that deserved a better concept, a stronger screenplay and a little more attention.
Rating: 5/10
