CallumTurner – Credits Rolling

Sometime in the near distant future, a mandate is passed that prevents single people from having pre-marital sex. The rules are allowed to be broken one night a year. For Owen (Callum Turner) and Allie (Monica Barbaro), this is a night that they’d much rather avoid. This year, Owen’s long term girlfriend Malika (Maya Hawke) says she wants to explore other options while Allie is looking for true love. When the two strangers meet, sparks fly, but a series of missteps and side quests complicate their evening.

Director Will Gluck, who was behind the films Anyone But You and Friends With Benefits, is back with One Night Only. This one has been getting a lot of flack from the critics and I cannot for the life of me understand why. I loved everything about this film! As long as you lean into the crazy, it totally and completely works. I was sold from the get go and I found it to be a breath of fresh air.

This was my first time seeing both Turner and Barbaro star is something light-hearted and they completely smashed it. Their comedic timing was perfect; they had me cracking up during their various antics and I couldn’t wait to see how each of their evenings were going to pan out. Together they were electric and I thought it was smart to not have them immediately drawn to one another. It kept the audience on their toes because even though we know how it’s going to end, it wasn’t as predictable as it otherwise could have been.

There were so many cameos scattered throughout that it was hard to keep track. Every time somebody I knew popped up on screen, I squealed in delight because I really did not expect some of them to be there. For those who weren’t so much of a surprise, I enjoyed seeing Maya Hawke in something new. It was also a delight to have Molly Ringwald star as Linda, Owen’s very sexually liberated mother.

While the premise may be a bit far fetched, it is actually one we have seen before although much less violent and a lot more horny. The situations we see these characters get into are laugh out loud hilarious and not at all realistic, but they don’t have to be. I appreciated the way in which this film was very self-assured. The parodies were spot on, but they held an important message. Not only that, it was very sex positive which is not something we see too often.

Overall, One Night Only was a total blast. It sucked me in front the beginning and didn’t let go until the credits rolled. Callum Turner and Monica Barbaro served as charming leads and the comedy landed. Don’t listen to the haters – give this film a chance!

Rating: ♥️♥️♥️♥️

In the afterlife, everyone has one week to decide where and with who they want to spend eternity. When Joan (Elizabeth Olsen) passes away, she is faced with an impossible choice. Will she pick Larry (Miles Teller), the man she spent most of her life with, or Luke (Callum Turner), her first love, who died at war and has waited for her ever since?

Directed by David Freyne, this is an offbeat, quirky romantic comedy that sparked my interest from the get go. Not only was the concept unique, I couldn’t fathom what the outcome would be. This was definitely one of the most charming films I have seen this year.

Olsen dazzles as the lead. Her performance has it all – comedy, emotion and everything in between. Joan’s dilemma is impossible and from her mannerisms to her facial expressions she encapsulated it so well. While Teller and Turner are excellent choices for her two husbands, they don’t quite match up to Olsen. They still delivered strong performances. Da’Vine Joy Randolph stars as Anna and John Early stars as Ryan, two Afterlife Coordinators who look after Larry and Joan respectively. They were so incredibly funny, but Randolph in particular stole the show for me. She nailed the jokes every single time.

It’s not the first time we’ve seen a film about what happens after we leave this earth. This one was just so inventive. From the Junction where you arrive to all the various locations such as Paris Land, Beach World and Men Free World, they didn’t leave anything out. To think that this is a version of the afterlife that could maybe exist is pretty cool.

“All we are is a collection of memories,” Anna says and this could not ring more true. Underneath the glitz and glimmer of paradise and purgatory, here each person is allowed to revisit the version of themselves when they felt the most happy. But as the story progresses, we learn that it’s so much more than that. Life is messy and full of ups and downs. It’s those people who help us grow into who we were always meant to be that has the most impact.

Overall, Eternity is clever, emotional and relatable. It had that old school romcom vibe that we never see anymore. The acting was superb and the fantasy aspect of it all truly worked. Above all else, this one will stick with you. I recommend checking it out.

Rating: ♥️♥️♥️♥️