Nate At The Movies

THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS.

My first day of school is in a week, so tonight’s viewing of One Night Only will probably be my last press screening for a while, unfortunately. I’ve really enjoyed them, even if they’ve necessitated hour-long drives to Dallas and tons of money spent on tolls so I don’t get there late. I wasn’t planning on seeing One Night Only when I first saw the trailers, but if Universal wants me to watch it and tell them what I thought for free, who am I to say no? I’m happy to oblige, and Morgan and I actually had a pretty good time.

There were a couple aspects of One Night Only that set it apart from other romantic comedies, for better or worse. The high-concept premise was surprisingly well-explored—you can’t just say that premarital sex has been banned and not expand on that—though admittedly still bonkers, even with the idea being so fleshed out. The premise led to some truly funny moments, but the humor was pretty spotty overall. Will Gluck tried to tell 10 jokes a minute, and maybe 30% of them or so landed. There was also a ton of really cringy dialogue, in both the “overly romantic” and “incredibly cynical” varieties. How has the dialogue in so many rom-coms not improved beyond these clichés?

Though I imagine many people will see this as a gimmick, I actually really enjoyed all of the cameos. I don’t know which one fried me the most (probably Glen Powell’s face on Malika’s phone), but I was laughing at each one. Pete Davidson and Bobby Cannavale were great in their limited moments, but Molly Ringwald and LeVar Burton stole the show as Owen’s “parents”. They definitely ruined some childhoods with their bubblewrap-laden canoodling. It was clear that Callum Turner and Monica Barbaro had a blast making this movie, and it showed the most in their pretty strong chemistry. They were cute together, so it’s too bad that Turner’s already spoken for (also, I thought he wasn’t going to be kissing any more girls in movies so Dua Lipa doesn’t leave him? You’re on thin ice, buddy).

One Night Only was about as comedically and narratively uneven as I was expecting from the director of Anyone But You and Easy A (a movie that I didn’t like as much as I thought I would, given its cult status), but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have a good time, especially with a packed theater. I was laughing a lot, especially at that creepy kid in Allie’s apartment and the final medication music video (keep dancing, you’re already established!). As a cap on the summer, One Night Only was a solid watch, and it really is unfortunate we won’t be seeing Callum Turner in any more rom-coms for the foreseeable future. Oh well. More for Dua, I guess.