One Night Only Looks on the Bright Side of Fascism: Review

One Night Only is a romantic comedy that chooses to see the bright side of fascism. That’s not an exaggeration — at one point, one character literally says out loud, “Maybe the fascists were right about this one.” That’s just one of many moments that make this movie, written by Travis Braun and directed by Will Gluck, a real mindfuck of an experience. The advertising around One Night Only has been a bit coy about its “The Purge but for dating” premise, which makes the opening title cards play like a gut-punch: Three years ago, Congress enacted a mandate banning all premarital sex, except for one night a year. It’s a law enforced by biosensors that for some reason every adult over the age of 18 agreed to have implanted in their wrists. They were at least allowed to pick what shape the biosensor looks like. That’s right, the government-mandated chastity devices can be customized! Here’s the important thing: This new mandate, while not necessarily popular, is treated as a totally normal part of life. Yes, there are nods to resistance at the edges of the frame — posters saying “repeal,” graffiti scrawled on walls reading “Fuck the Mandate!” But this movie depicts a society that all too...