I Want Your Sex

It’s a crazy movie. I Want Your Sex is a spectacle you can’t quite pry your eyes from. I’d bet that even the most refined prudes would still be drawn to the fast-paced, kinky film just by the vibrancy alone.

The good news is I Want Your Sex brings color back to the cinema. Hopefully, it serves as a reminder that bright colors aren’t only for Barbie or Netflix originals. The bad news is … well I’m not sure there is any bad news, per se. The film is on the verge of soft camp, with an admirable awareness of sexual nuance between Gen Zers and Millennials, without being too on-the-nose.

Directed by Gregg Araki (The Doom Generation, Totally F***ed Up, and Mysterious Skin) and written by Karley Sciortino, the film opens with a disoriented and bleeding Elliot (Cooper Hoffman) wearing a pink silk bra. As he stumbles around the home of his boss, Erika Tracy (Olivia Wilde), he finds her unconscious, face-down in the pool.

We flash back nine and a half weeks ago, where Elliot, Zap (Mason Gooding), and others are chewing gum to be added to one of Erika’s art pieces. Elliot, who’s hired as one of Erika’s assistants, admits he thought the job would be “more intellectually stimulating.” He took the job fresh out of college and was in desperate need for cash.

He’s then called into Erika’s office where she throws all HR protocol out the window and proposes a sexual relationship to go with their professional relationship.

Later, Elliot is sitting in an interrogation room with detectives in the aftermath of finding Erika unconscious and trying to make sense of their relationship. The interrogators seem taken aback by the fact that Erika initiated the relationship and reiterate how important it is for Elliot to tell the full story.

He reflects on preparing for his job interview, where we learn how important sex is to Erika’s ethos as an artist, through a video Elliot watches in an apartment he shares with his best friend Apple (Chase Sui Wonders).

During his interview, Erika tells Elliot that “contemporary art is a scam” and displays aversion to the “woke police” with invasive questioning. 

Elliot lands the job on the spot and later shares his excitement with his girlfriend Minerva (Charli XCX). Minerva, who is studying to become a doctor, is comedically uninterested in Elliot as he gushes over Erika and asks for celebration sex.

Later on at work, Erika asks Elliot for help moving an art piece into her home. She gives Elliot a book that was pivotal toward her attitudes on sex, which she says contradicts Elliot’s generational view of sexuality.

Elliot grapples with being sexually attracted to Erika, while being in a relationship with Minerva. He decides to take Erika up on her offer, leading to a BDSM relationship — much of which is recorded by Erika, the dom.

Elliot admits the relationship was intense, but it allowed for his sexual fantasies to emerge. His infatuation with her intensifies, as Erika is all he thinks about, even when he’s being intimate with Minerva. He eventually breaks up with her, leading him to dive all in with Erika. Elliot’s fixation with Erika leads to him wanting something more, and this makes him eager to indulge in all of her requests, including a threesome with Apple.

The threesome exposes Elliot’s one-sided obsession with Erika and contributes to his downfall. His friendship with Apple is ruined, leading him to move in temporarily with Zap. Erika’s true intentions with Elliot are revealed at her exhibition, which culminates in Elliot being thrown out.

Later, he is surprised to get an invitation to Erika’s house after being unceremoniously fired, where he learns her latest show was a flop. And then we’re back to the beginning.

The use of color in the film is exceptional. Not only is it visually appealing, but it adds to the hedonism of the sex. Araki’s aesthetic here reminds me of Ken Russell’s adaptation of The Who’s rock opera Tommy — something you can’t turn away from, regardless of whether you can follow what’s going on.

Araki’s decision to create a vibrant world from the moment the film starts works in his favor, notably in scenes with Minerva. Elliot and Apple’s apartment, along with Erika’s gallery, are characterized by neon and bright hues, which instantly clash when we’re taken to Minerva’s gray-toned room and dour demeanor.

Speaking of, Charli XCX is such a standout in the film. She’s an unapologetically bad girlfriend, but you don’t care for Elliot enough to dislike her for it. In fact, I wanted more of her!

Olivia Wilde is both visually striking and compelling to watch. Erika has an entrancing confidence, and Wilde plays it naturally, without falling into tropey territory. It lends to you commending her for not being afraid to ask for what she wants. Though her bravado is a strength initially, it turns sour when she starts to abuse the power dynamic between her as a boss and Elliot as an employee.

If you go into I Want Your Sex expecting a serious, real-world drama like I did the first time I saw it, you will likely come away confused. If you embrace the camp, like I did the second time around, you’ll enjoy it. 

I Want Your Sex 
Opens Friday, July 31st
Malco Collierville, Cordova, DeSoto, Ridgeway, and Studio on the Square