{"id":2101934,"date":"2026-08-19T11:33:35","date_gmt":"2026-08-19T08:33:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2101934"},"modified":"2026-08-19T11:33:35","modified_gmt":"2026-08-19T08:33:35","slug":"one-night-only-this-limp-romcom-will-give-no-one-a-happy-ending","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2101934","title":{"rendered":"\u2018One Night Only\u2019: this limp romcom will give no one a happy ending"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/One_Night_Only_Barbaro_Turner.jpg&#8221;]<\/p>\n<article id=\"template-id-3332206\" class=\"post-3332206 tdb_templates type-tdb_templates status-publish post\">\n<div id=\"tdi_65\" class=\"tdc-zone\">\n<div class=\"tdc_zone tdi_66  wpb_row td-pb-row\">\n<div id=\"tdi_67\" class=\"tdc-row stretch_row_1400 td-stretch-content\">\n<div class=\"vc_row tdi_68  wpb_row td-pb-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_column tdi_70  wpb_column vc_column_container tdc-column td-pb-span12\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_featured_image tdi_71 tdb-content-horiz-left td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_71\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"696\" height=\"442\" class=\"entry-thumb\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/One_Night_Only_Barbaro_Turner-696x442.jpg\" alt=\"One Night Only\" title=\"One_Night_Only_Barbaro_Turner\"><figcaption class=\"tdb-caption-text\">Monica Barbaro and Callum Turner in &#8216;One Night Only&#8217;. CREDIT: Universal<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"tdi_72\" class=\"tdc-row stretch_row\">\n<div class=\"vc_row tdi_73  wpb_row td-pb-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_column tdi_75  wpb_column vc_column_container tdc-column td-pb-span12\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_breadcrumbs tdi_76 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2 tdb-breadcrumbs \" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_76\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span>Reviews<\/span><span>Film Reviews<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_title tdi_77 tdb-single-title td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_77\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">\u2018One Night Only\u2019: this limp romcom will give no one a happy ending<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_subtitle tdi_78 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_78\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<p>Monica Barbaro and Callum Turner are singletons who meet on the one night a year when sex is allowed. So why don&#8217;t sparks fly?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_review_overall tdi_79 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_79\">\n<table class=\"td-review td-fix-index\">\n<tr class=\"td-review-footer rate_stars\">\n<td class=\"td-review-score\">\n<div class=\"td-review-overall\">\n<div class=\"td-review-final-score\">2<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_author tdi_80 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2 tdb-post-meta\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_80\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-author-name-wrap\"><span class=\"tdb-author-by\">By<\/span> Nick Levine<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_date tdi_81 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2 tdb-post-meta\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_81\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><time class=\"entry-date updated td-module-date\" datetime=\"2026-08-19T12:33:35+01:00\">19th August 2026<\/time><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"tdi_82\" class=\"tdc-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_row tdi_83  wpb_row td-pb-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_column tdi_85  wpb_column vc_column_container tdc-column td-pb-span12\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_content tdi_86 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2 td-post-content tagdiv-type\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_86\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<p><strong class=\"dropcap big-read-dropcap\">I<\/strong>magine an alternate reality where premarital sex is only lawful for one night of the year. Thanks to a US government mandate, the police can arrest anyone who\u2019s caught bang(ed) to rights, and everyone has an Orwellian wrist tattoo that switches from red to green when the 12-hour exemption period begins. It sounds like the pitch for a pretty grim dystopian thriller, but it\u2019s actually the USP of this old-school romcom. How old-school? It\u2019s opening in cinemas, not going straight to streaming.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Read more:<\/strong> The best films of 2026\u2026 so far!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Though <em>One Night Only<\/em> is directed by Will Gluck, who gave the genre a shot in the arm with 2023\u2019s Sydney Sweeney-Glenn Powell hit <em>Anyone But You<\/em>, it never quite hits its stride. In theory, a romcom can overcome any icky premise. In 1990\u2019s irresistible <em>Pretty Woman<\/em>, a Hollywood sex worker falls for a jaded one-percenter who pays her to spend time with him, but that film had Julia Roberts\u2019 incandescent charisma and some great set-pieces. <em>One Night Only<\/em> has an appealing lead duo, Monica Barbaro (<em>A Complete Unknown<\/em>) and Callum Turner (<em>Masters Of The Air<\/em>), but their chemistry is tepid rather than sweltering.<\/p>\n<div class=\"td-a-ad id_inline_ad0 id_ad_content-horiz-center\"><span class=\"td-adspot-title\">Advertisement<\/span><\/div>\n<p>The story begins as the clock ticks down to the annual 12-hour window where premarital sex is actually allowed. Pizza shop owner Owen (Turner) has planned a romantic evening with his girlfriend Malika (Maya Hawke), but she tells him over sushi that she\u2019d rather bed someone else. It doesn\u2019t really make sense \u2013 why didn\u2019t Malika break the news before the big night? \u2013 but then again, little about this film does bear scrutiny.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3963642\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3963642\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-3963642\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/One_Night_Only_King_Princess.jpg\" alt=\"One Night Only\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1270\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3963642\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Monica Barbaro and King Princess in \u2018One Night Only\u2019. CREDIT: Universal<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Meanwhile, jingle singer Allie (Barbaro) is single and ready to mingle, though she only wants to go all the way with a guy she really vibes with. Owen and Allie don\u2019t know each other, but it\u2019s pretty fun watching their paths cross as they bar-hop around New York City on a night when everyone wants to get laid. Along the way, Gluck\u2019s film squanders cameos from romcom icon Molly Ringwald and Charli XCX\u2018s bestie Julia Fox, though singer-actress King Princess supplies some funny moments as Allie\u2019s incorrigible pal Jacinta.<\/p>\n<p>Eventually, Allie and Owen get beyond their multiple meet-cutes and realise they\u2019re made for each other. But even then, <em>One Night Only<\/em> can\u2019t shake off its weirdly squeamish attitude to sex. Allie\u2019s roommate Arya (Quintessa Swindell) dismisses the exemption period as a night \u201cfor the straights\u201d, which suggests the US government has a pretty narrow conception of what sex actually entails. It also implies that the heterosexual population of New York City suffers from a baffling lack of imagination.<\/p>\n<p>Sadly, Travis Braun\u2019s patchy screenplay never bothers to explain these plot holes because it\u2019s too busy trying to manufacture a viral moment by having Allie sing Air Supply\u2019s \u2018All Out of Love\u2019 and Yazoo\u2018s \u2018Only You\u2019. In fairness, her rendition of the latter is quite touching.<\/p>\n<div class=\"td-a-ad id_inline_ad1 id_ad_content-horiz-center\">\n<h5 class=\"taboola-mid-article-title\">Recommended<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<p><em>One Night Only<\/em>\u2018s retrogressive ending is so misguided that it\u2019s tempting to quote a better romantic comedy involving a Hollywood sex worker: \u201cBig mistake. Huge.\u201d Despite the odd frisson from Barbaro and Turner, this dodgy romcom is ultimately one big turn-off.<\/p>\n<div class=\"game-review-verdict\">\n<h2>Details<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Director:<\/strong> Will Gluck<\/li>\n<li><strong>Starring:<\/strong> Monica Barbaro, Callum Turner, Maya Hawke<\/li>\n<li><strong>Release date:<\/strong> August 28 (in UK cinemas)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_tags tdi_87 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_87\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<ul class=\"tdb-tags\">\n<li><span>Related Topics<\/span><\/li>\n<li>Charli XCX<\/li>\n<li>King Princess<\/li>\n<li>Maya Hawke<\/li>\n<li>Yazoo<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"tdi_88\" class=\"tdc-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_row tdi_89  wpb_row td-pb-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_column tdi_91  wpb_column vc_column_container tdc-column td-pb-span12\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"vc_row_inner tdi_93  vc_row vc_inner wpb_row td-pb-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_column_inner tdi_95  wpb_column vc_column_container tdc-inner-column td-pb-span12\">\n<div class=\"vc_column-inner\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper td_block_wrap vc_raw_html tdi_97 \">\n<div class=\"td-fix-index\">\n<h3>More Stories<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap td_flex_block_1 tdi_98 td-pb-border-top td_module_flex_1--card td_module_flex_1--card--highlight td_block_template_2 tdc-no-posts td_flex_block\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_98\">\n<div id=\"tdi_98\" class=\"td_block_inner td-mc1-wrap\">\n<div class=\"td_module_flex td_module_flex_1 td_module_wrap td-animation-stack\">\n<div class=\"td-module-container td-category-pos-above\">\n<div class=\"td-module-meta-info\">\n                    Music News<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"entry-title td-module-title\">Reading &amp; Leeds 2026: check out the full stage times<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_module_flex td_module_flex_1 td_module_wrap td-animation-stack\">\n<div class=\"td-module-container td-category-pos-above\">\n<div class=\"td-module-meta-info\">\n                    Music News<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"entry-title td-module-title\">Joe Rogan discovers Turnstile, claims US rap has \u201cfallen off the charts\u201d because of defunding international aid<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_module_flex td_module_flex_1 td_module_wrap td-animation-stack\">\n<div class=\"td-module-container td-category-pos-above\">\n<div class=\"td-module-meta-info\">\n                    Music News<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"entry-title td-module-title\">Wetherspoons bans customers playing music out loud on phones<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_module_flex td_module_flex_1 td_module_wrap td-animation-stack\">\n<div class=\"td-module-container td-category-pos-above\">\n<div class=\"td-module-meta-info\">\n                    Music News<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"entry-title td-module-title\">Wolf Alice complete run of \u2018The Clearing\u2019 B-sides with the folksy \u2018Hit The Sky\u2019<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_module_flex td_module_flex_1 td_module_wrap td-animation-stack\">\n<div class=\"td-module-container td-category-pos-above\">\n<div class=\"td-module-meta-info\">\n                    Music Interviews<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"entry-title td-module-title\">Gang of Youths talk easing into a new era on \u2018Things Take Time\u2019: \u201cIt felt like a proper break with the past\u201d<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_module_flex td_module_flex_1 td_module_wrap td-animation-stack\">\n<div class=\"td-module-container td-category-pos-above\">\n<div class=\"td-module-meta-info\">\n                    Music News<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"entry-title td-module-title\">\u2018A Very Laufey Day\u2019 returns for 2026 with worldwide events<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"tdi_99\" class=\"tdc-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_row tdi_100  wpb_row td-pb-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_column tdi_102  wpb_column vc_column_container tdc-column td-pb-span12\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper td_block_wrap vc_raw_html tdi_104 \">\n<div class=\"td-fix-index\">\n<h3>You May Also Like<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"td-page-meta\"><\/span><span class=\"td-page-meta\"><span class=\"td-page-meta\"><\/span><\/span><span class=\"td-page-meta\"><\/span><span class=\"td-page-meta\"><span class=\"td-page-meta\"><\/span><span><\/span><\/span><span class=\"td-page-meta\"><\/span><\/article>\n<\/p>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_content tdi_86 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2 td-post-content tagdiv-type\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_86\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<p><strong class=\"dropcap big-read-dropcap\">I<\/strong>magine an alternate reality where premarital sex is only lawful for one night of the year. Thanks to a US government mandate, the police can arrest anyone who\u2019s caught bang(ed) to rights, and everyone has an Orwellian wrist tattoo that switches from red to green when the 12-hour exemption period begins. It sounds like the pitch for a pretty grim dystopian thriller, but it\u2019s actually the USP of this old-school romcom. How old-school? It\u2019s opening in cinemas, not going straight to streaming.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Read more:<\/strong> The best films of 2026\u2026 so far!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Though <em>One Night Only<\/em> is directed by Will Gluck, who gave the genre a shot in the arm with 2023\u2019s Sydney Sweeney-Glenn Powell hit <em>Anyone But You<\/em>, it never quite hits its stride. In theory, a romcom can overcome any icky premise. In 1990\u2019s irresistible <em>Pretty Woman<\/em>, a Hollywood sex worker falls for a jaded one-percenter who pays her to spend time with him, but that film had Julia Roberts\u2019 incandescent charisma and some great set-pieces. <em>One Night Only<\/em> has an appealing lead duo, Monica Barbaro (<em>A Complete Unknown<\/em>) and Callum Turner (<em>Masters Of The Air<\/em>), but their chemistry is tepid rather than sweltering.<\/p>\n<div class=\"td-a-ad id_inline_ad0 id_ad_content-horiz-center\"><span class=\"td-adspot-title\">Advertisement<\/span><\/div>\n<p>The story begins as the clock ticks down to the annual 12-hour window where premarital sex is actually allowed. Pizza shop owner Owen (Turner) has planned a romantic evening with his girlfriend Malika (Maya Hawke), but she tells him over sushi that she\u2019d rather bed someone else. It doesn\u2019t really make sense \u2013 why didn\u2019t Malika break the news before the big night? \u2013 but then again, little about this film does bear scrutiny.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3963642\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3963642\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-3963642\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/One_Night_Only_King_Princess.jpg\" alt=\"One Night Only\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1270\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3963642\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Monica Barbaro and King Princess in \u2018One Night Only\u2019. CREDIT: Universal<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Meanwhile, jingle singer Allie (Barbaro) is single and ready to mingle, though she only wants to go all the way with a guy she really vibes with. Owen and Allie don\u2019t know each other, but it\u2019s pretty fun watching their paths cross as they bar-hop around New York City on a night when everyone wants to get laid. Along the way, Gluck\u2019s film squanders cameos from romcom icon Molly Ringwald and Charli XCX\u2018s bestie Julia Fox, though singer-actress King Princess supplies some funny moments as Allie\u2019s incorrigible pal Jacinta.<\/p>\n<p>Eventually, Allie and Owen get beyond their multiple meet-cutes and realise they\u2019re made for each other. But even then, <em>One Night Only<\/em> can\u2019t shake off its weirdly squeamish attitude to sex. Allie\u2019s roommate Arya (Quintessa Swindell) dismisses the exemption period as a night \u201cfor the straights\u201d, which suggests the US government has a pretty narrow conception of what sex actually entails. It also implies that the heterosexual population of New York City suffers from a baffling lack of imagination.<\/p>\n<p>Sadly, Travis Braun\u2019s patchy screenplay never bothers to explain these plot holes because it\u2019s too busy trying to manufacture a viral moment by having Allie sing Air Supply\u2019s \u2018All Out of Love\u2019 and Yazoo\u2018s \u2018Only You\u2019. In fairness, her rendition of the latter is quite touching.<\/p>\n<div class=\"td-a-ad id_inline_ad1 id_ad_content-horiz-center\">\n<h5 class=\"taboola-mid-article-title\">Recommended<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<p><em>One Night Only<\/em>\u2018s retrogressive ending is so misguided that it\u2019s tempting to quote a better romantic comedy involving a Hollywood sex worker: \u201cBig mistake. Huge.\u201d Despite the odd frisson from Barbaro and Turner, this dodgy romcom is ultimately one big turn-off.<\/p>\n<div class=\"game-review-verdict\">\n<h2>Details<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Director:<\/strong> Will Gluck<\/li>\n<li><strong>Starring:<\/strong> Monica Barbaro, Callum Turner, Maya Hawke<\/li>\n<li><strong>Release date:<\/strong> August 28 (in UK cinemas)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>[analyse_source url=&#8221;https:\/\/www.nme.com\/reviews\/film-reviews\/one-night-only-review-monica-barbaro-callum-turner-king-princess-3963632&#8243;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/One_Night_Only_Barbaro_Turner.jpg&#8221;] Monica Barbaro and Callum Turner in &#8216;One Night Only&#8217;. CREDIT: Universal ReviewsFilm Reviews \u2018One Night Only\u2019: this limp romcom will give no one a happy ending Monica Barbaro and Callum Turner are singletons who meet on the one night a year when sex is allowed. So why don&#8217;t sparks fly? 2 By [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[226,78],"class_list":["post-2101934","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics","tag-crawlmanager","tag-nme-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2101934","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2101934"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2101934\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2101934"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2101934"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2101934"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}