One Night Only
12 hours can change everything.
Two love-starved strangers crash into each other on the one night of the year when single people are allowed to have sex.
Directed by Will Gluck · Comedy · Romance · Science Fiction · 102 min · 2026
Trailer
Director
Will Gluck
Writer
Travis Braun{{cite web, url=https://www.universalpictures.com/movies/one-night-only/synopsis/, title=One Night Only, publisher=Universal Pictures, access-date=July 20, 2026
Studio
Universal Pictures / Olive Bridge Entertainment
Release
2026-07-28
Runtime
102 min
Genres
Comedy, Romance, Science Fiction
Full Plot
Two strangers crash into each other in an ever-so-slightly fictionalized New York on the one night when single people are allowed to have sex. Recently dumped Owen and hopeful romantic Allie may be the only two singles in the city looking for more than a quick encounter. They both feel a spark when they meet, but a series of missteps and side quests will complicate their night. From Will Gluck, the writer-director of Anyone But You and Friends with Benefits, comes a fresh, funny, swoony original romantic comedy about searching for love on the least romantic night of the year.
Cast & Characters
Allie
Monica Barbaro
Owen
Callum Turner
Malika
Maya Hawke
Skye, a bartender
Julia Fox
Linda
Molly Ringwald
Rick, Linda's partner
LeVar Burton
Ezra Stone, singer at the exclusive party
Charlie Gillespie
Detective Vanessa Bryan Brown
Michelle Hurd
Jacinta, Allie's friend
King Princess
Arya, Allie's roommate
Quintessa Swindell
Max, the piano player
Andrew Burnap
Officer McAnnie
Mike Birbiglia
Tejan, a prince that Jacinta meets
Okieriete Onaodowan
Patrick Brunson
Ben Marshall
Did You Know?
In February 2025, Universal Pictures announced that Will Gluck would be directing One Night Only, an original comedy written by Travis Braun that topped the 2024 Black List.
Source: Wikipedia · verified 2026-08-03
Critical Assessment
One Night Only holds 6.4/10 on TMDb (5 votes). IMDb/Rotten Tomatoes/Metacritic scores will populate automatically via the site's daily refresh once available.
Not enough independent critic/audience score breakdown available.
Ratings as of August 11, 2026
Where to Watch
United States
Streaming data from JustWatch via TMDb. Availability changes often — confirm on the provider before watching.
AI Verdict
AI-generatedBased on TMDb's aggregated score (6.4/10 on TMDb (5 votes)), this is a data-driven snapshot rather than an editorial take.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is One Night Only's IMDb rating?+
One Night Only has a 6.4/10 rating on IMDb from 1,318 votes.
What is One Night Only's Metacritic score?+
One Night Only has a Metascore of 43/100 on Metacritic.
Is One Night Only good? What are critics saying?+
One Night Only holds 6.4/10 on TMDb (5 votes). IMDb/Rotten Tomatoes/Metacritic scores will populate automatically via the site's daily refresh once available.
How long is One Night Only?+
One Night Only has a runtime of 102 min.
Who directed One Night Only?+
One Night Only was directed by Will Gluck.
Where can I watch One Night Only?+
One Night Only is available to stream, rent, or buy on Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
Fan & Critic Buzz
The movie "One Night Only" received a mixed reaction from critics and audiences. Reviewers praised Monica Barbaro's performance as Ellie, but found the premise to be problematic. The US government's regulation preventing sex for unmarried folks is criticized for being discriminatory and hypocritical given their free love policies. Audiences also had varying reactions, with some finding it "bad" or making light of its content, while others saw it as a bold commentary on societal norms. Some also expressed interest in exploring more diverse representation in media.
Viewer Reviews (TMDb)
The movie follows the premise that a regulation prevents sex for unmarried folks during the whole year except a 12h period that became a big night where people go out to accomplish all their fantasies. The story follows Ellie, who doesn't want an one night stand and has the seemi…
Check out my full review @ https://www.manuelsbento.com/one-night-only-2026-monica-barbaro-delivers-a-career-best-performance-in-a-charming-held-back-rom-com/ Rating: B- Will Gluck's dystopian rom-com works better as a showcase for its leads than as commentary on its own premise,…
Manuel São Bento · 6/10After decades of free love, the US government has decided that unless you are actually married then you have to keep it in your pants. They've even designed a special chip that will detect whether or not you get up to any horizontal jogging, so there's no cheating the system - ex…
CinemaSerf · 6/10
From the trailer's comments
Wow.. This looks so bad.
@charlier.k4934 · 9 likesSaw this today. It was bad 😂😂😂
@Lily152-b2x · 1 likesShe’s Garfield’s gf and looks like the old Kylie Jenner
@opheliawinfrey9501 · 1 likes400 views in 22 hours 💀
@B_limited24 · 2 likesI have an idea for a new TV drama. One where there are no mixed race couples. You can have white couples and black couples etc representing 99.9999% of the real world.
@TonyFisherPuzzles · 0 likes@TakeMick:Married? How does se¥ work work? Do you marry to se¥, outside of marriage??!
@dominicmccool6288 · 0 likes
