Published Aug 7, 2026, 9:30 PM EDT
August is a freelance film writer. She studied journalism and cinema at American University. She is a member of the journalism honor society, Kappa Tau Alpha. August has written for various networks and publications, including PBS, Gargoyle Magazine, TheThings, and Identity Theory Magazine. Before returning to entertainment writing, August worked in the Automotive section of U.S. News & World Report. In her free time, August enjoys watching movies in theaters, watching movies at home, listening to podcasts about movies, reading books about movies, watching video essays on movies, talking about movies, thinking about movies, and doing crosswords.
Warning: This article contains light spoilers for One Night Only Anyone But You director, Will Gluck is back with his most steamy and high-concept romance comedy yet, via the R-rated film, One Night Only. The unique story takes place in a universe where single people can only legally have sex one night a year. Essentially, it is The Purge for casual hookups. Singles Allie and Owen happen to meet during the 24-hour legal sex window, though both are searching for a genuine connection.
Sparks fly between the romantic leads Monica Barbaro (A Complete Unknown) and Callum Turner (Eternity). Much of the film's comedy comes from the stellar ensemble cast, including Molly Ringwald, Bobby Cannavale, and Maya Hawke. Younger adult viewers may be particularly excited to see appearances by Julia Fox, Ziwe Fumudoh, and King Princess.
One Night Only has proven divisive among critics. The Screen Rant review applauds the film’s concept, comedy, and central performances—rating it a solid 8/10. However, the critical consensus on Rotten Tomatoes currently sits at 46%. Critical discord generally centers around whether the film's core gimmick is effectively fleshed out. Despite this critical split, there is a lot to love about the Universal Studios feature.
Gluck's films have a knack of charming audiences more than critics. Anyone But You has a middling 53% critical score on Rotten Tomatoes but a strong 86% audience score. Audience reactions to One Night Only are likely to follow this trend and surpass the critical consensus. This rom-com offers all the chemistry, humor, and raunchy fun that audiences could want.
One Night Only's Post-Credits Offers One Last Laugh
One Night Only comes to an appropriately upbeat and romantic conclusion for a rom-com. Once the screen fades to black and the credits roll, the story is truly over. Audiences waiting around in hopes of an additional post-credit scene will be disappointed. However, audiences may still wish to stick around as the raunchy rom-com has one last, saucy surprise.
The sex-centric comedy is, of course, brimming with raunchy jokes and innuendos throughout its runtime. The film pokes fun at the inherent goofiness of sex. Gluck couldn't help but get a final bit of raunchy comedy in before the cinematic experience concludes. After the credits have concluded, Callum Turner's voice makes an over-the-top sexual grunt.
The steamy post-credit surprise works on several levels. First, it puts a perfect button on the film's explicit comedy. This final moment should be particularly humorous for fellow movie-goers who don’t know it is coming. Further, this audio suggests that, after nearly 103 minutes of build up, Allie and Owen finally knock boots.
Does One Night Only Set Up A Sequel?
One Night Only does not explicitly set up a sequel or franchise. This is unsurprising as rom-coms do not frequently launch franchises and are rarely produced with pre-planned sequels. Typically, rom-coms only receive additional installments following an overwhelming reaction from fans. This was the case for the uber-popular Bridget Jones's Diary, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, and The Devil Wears Prada.
As such, audience reception may determine the future of the One Night Only-verse. The film's premise—conceived by writer Travis Braun—is certainly unique and entertaining enough to warrant follow-ups. Allie and Owen’s story seems fairly sufficiently concluded in One Night Only. However, Gluck could certainly create additional films set in the same universe, but centering on different couples.
There is no official word yet on plans for additional installments of Gluck’s latest rom-com. This makes sense as franchise plans would be premature until the audience consensus is in. However, the unique and intriguing concept of One Night Only offers a world of potential for romantic misadventures.
English (US) ·