The anticipation that comes when two attractive people go out of their way to pretend they’re not into one another, only to eventually realize that they’re perfect for each other, is the foundation of an inexhaustible list of rom-coms. Now what if this meet-cute happened on the only day of the year where unmarried adults can bang each other’s brains out? It’s as if someone said, “How can we make The Purge sexy?” In a nutshell, that’s One Night Only.

Starring Callum Turner and Monica Barbaro, director Will Gluck’s frenetic One Night Only takes a self-aware and absurd premise and literally runs with it, giving audiences a fresh and frankly funny take on sex and dating in a bizarro near-future New York.

This dystopian world looks and acts a lot like 2026 New York except for one detail: on August 7, from 7 a.m. to 7 a.m., unmarried people can have sex. The rest of the year, even committed but unmarried couples are forbidden. Audiences are expected to buy into this premise with little explanation from the moment the film opens. Those who do will be swayed by the charms of the film’s leads: pharmaceutical ad singer Allie (Barbaro) and pizzeria owner Owen (Turner), two unlikely strangers who just can’t stop running into one another when all they want is to get it on with other people.

The hows and whys of how American society got to this point are explained in a brief international news clip, with non-Americans looking on in utter confusion and bemusement at this “mandate.” The film explains it all as little more than a passing thought, and so should audiences. American “Christian values” have won over the country to the point where singletons’ biometrics are monitored by the government, tracking their hormonal changes, locations, and eligibility to get it on once a year via a tattoo-like implant on their wrist. All this falls under the governmental guise of helping Americans find “the one,” settle down, start families, and reduce out-of-control STI and teen pregnancy rates. Even queer people are subject to the sex ban. There’s a layer here that could have made for an unsettling horror movie, but One Night Only is all about cheering for two hot people to get it on before the clock runs out.

Written by Travis Braun, whose credits mostly include children’s animated television, the script is full of witty barbs and one-liners that consistently land. Allie and Owen stand out among their peers as two people who still value romance and courtship, something the government has stripped away from society. Of course, they’re not above making the most of their one night a year either.

A sex comedy with heart, One Night Only is surprisingly sweet. The entire concept hinges on Turner and Barbaro’s chemistry, and they have plenty of it. We all know how rom-coms like this end, but watching these two weave in and out of each other’s orbit makes every encounter feel like a new meet-cute. The tightly paced film is also at its best when it focuses on Allie and Owen and the trajectory of their relationship. They buoy the film’s more unbelievable moments, but like all films that revolve around one chaotic evening—be it Superbad or After Hours—it’s the escalating string of chance encounters, near misses, and increasingly ridiculous situations that keep the momentum going.

Less successful is the undercurrent of opposition to the mandate. While it serves as an interesting reveal when seemingly liberal-minded characters are shown to support it, the idea feels more like a footnote than a meaningful plot point. Even so, though occasionally formulaic, the film takes a gleeful approach to its nightmare sexless society. People are happy, they’re having fun, and it feels oddly light—even wholesome—that strangers are simply looking for a chance at physical and emotional connection. It almost plays like a throwback to timeless silver screen romances, viewed through a modern lens.

Padded with cameo appearances from everyone from Julia Fox to Pete Davidson, the film’s supporting cast comes alive in delightful and electrifying ways. As Owen’s mother and her partner, Molly Ringwald and LeVar Burton are scene-stealers who remind viewers that this annual night of sex isn’t just for the young.

For all its dystopian underpinnings, One Night Only is ultimately a rom-com through and through. It trades satire for sincerity, trusting Turner and Barbaro’s effortless chemistry to carry even its most ludicrous ideas. The result is an unexpectedly charming crowd-pleaser that proves sometimes the craziest premise is simply an excuse to tell a very classic love story.

One Night Only hits theatres August 7.