Entertainment can often be a way for us to switch off. This year what’s on our screens has frequently been aimed at turning us on. From the sensual pleasures of “Wuthering Heights” to the steamy shower scenes in “Heated Rivalry”, sex has been front and center in a slew of recent hits in ways that might previously have made them ineligible to be mainstream cultural powerhouses. It’s safe to say horniness is having a moment.
Enter the next competitor for both your eyeballs and fantasies: “One Night Only,” a just-released romantic comedy that’s very much on the titillating trend. Starring Oscar-nominee Monica Barbaro and Callum Turner (aka Mr. Dua Lipa), the movie takes place in a universe where a conservative Congress has passed a law banning sex between single people — save for one night of the year in which they are permitted to go to town on each other in restaurants, on subways and in public parks. Sure, the premise is ridiculous — and one that’s sparked a slew of recent jokes online — but it ensures “One Night Only” is rife with lustful hunger that’s bound to appeal to horny audiences.
“It’s one of those premises that’s so bonkers and funny because you’ve got the easy logline of it being ‘The Purge’ but for sex,” said Sophia Benoit, a romance novelist and sex columnist who has been among those reveling in 2026’s entertainment offerings. “I often feel like I’m voting with my movie-going purchase: please make more things like this.”
