One Night Stand

Sharon and Eva meet Brendan and Tony during an anti-war protest in front of two US Navy ships just before Christmas. Brendan claims to be a singer who has performed at the Opera House, which intrigues the women. The night ends with plans for a double date to see Midnight Oil, though a later row foreshadows trouble between the couples.

The four go on a double date to see Midnight Oil. After returning to the women's flat, the men boast about seducing their dates, and the women eject them from the flat. The incident reveals a strain between the groups and foreshadows the fragility of their new relationships.

News reports begin to circulate about growing US-Soviet tension and the looming possibility of nuclear war. The broadcasts amplify a sense of global unease and uncertainty. The mood shifts from holiday cheer to imminent catastrophe as talks of war intensify.

On New Year's Eve, Sharon and Eva discover a US Navy sailor named Sam asleep in one of the theatres. Sharon recognizes him from a newspaper article describing him as missing. The discovery ties the group’s personal drama to a real, immediate danger.

The four gather in the theatre's control room to discuss how to survive the crisis. Brendan appears on the stage and tries to sing, revealing that he actually works as a cleaner at the Opera House. The moment mix humor with vulnerability as they confront their uncertain situation.

While the women talk to Brendan, Sam overhears a radio report that war has broken out in Europe and that tactical nuclear weapons have been used in Germany. Subsequent broadcasts list four Australian targets—North West Cape, Pine Gap, Nurrungar, and Jervis Bay—as hit by nuclear weapons.

The group is ordered to stay inside the Opera House as the crisis unfolds and they retreat to the basement to wait out the danger. They begin planning how to endure the blackout and the looming threats beyond the building’s walls.

Seeking distraction, they move to a nearby bar with Brendan’s key, get drunk, and play strip poker to pass the time. They also watch Fritz Lang’s Metropolis, whose underground city and flood scenes eerily echo their own predicament and foreshadow future upheaval.

Between drinks and confessions, the group shares memories in flashbacks that reveal their pasts and vulnerabilities. The conversations deepen their bond, turning fear into a fragile camaraderie as they await an uncertain dawn.

The following morning, Brendan and Sharon sleep together in a storage room, signaling a complicated romantic development amid the crisis. Eva and Sam also cling to each other as the situation outside grows direr.

Eva learns from a television broadcast that Europe and the United States have entered a full-scale nuclear exchange, with Europe devastated and New York City shown in horrific aftermath footage. The scale of destruction hits home as personal safety becomes increasingly unlikely.

The sky over Sydney turns red as firestorms threaten the city, and air raid sirens wail. The four decide to take shelter underground, joining thousands who flood the Martin Place railway station to ride out the catastrophe.

Inside the crowded shelter, Sharon and Eva sing It Might as Well Rain Until September to entertain the crowd while the power fails. A distant explosion is heard, the frame freezes, and it remains uncertain whether Sydney has been struck by a nuclear weapon.