Dir: Gregg Araki
Cast: Olivia Wilde, Cooper Hoffman, Chase Sui Wonders, Mason Gooding, Johnny Knoxville, Daveed Diggs, Charli XCX
Gregg Araki crafts his most inviting, laugh-out-loud film yet, as Olivia Wilde commands the screen with a fearless performance in this sharp, satirical dive into modern art and society’s shifting attitudes towards sex
After recently discussing Jane Schoenbrun‘s influence on modern LGBTQ+ cinema in my review of “Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma”, I now turn to one of queer filmmaking’s true trailblazers: the provocative and magnetic Gregg Araki. For nearly thirty years, Araki has stood at the vanguard of New Queer Cinema, masterminding the “Teenage Apocalypse Trilogy”—“Totally F***ed Up”, “The Doom Generation”, and “Nowhere”. Between 1993 and 1997, these films injected independent cinema with raw explorations of teen alienation, aggression, nihilism, and sexual identity, boldly venturing into territory rarely explored before his arrival.
Araki cemented his reputation as an anarchic force in queer cinema with his 2004 adaptation of Scott Heim‘s novel “Mysterious Skin”, a landmark film that delves unflinchingly into the psychological aftermath of childhood trauma. While his movies often dazzle with tongue-in-cheek humour and a riot of campy visuals, beneath the surface they grapple with weighty themes, their emotional resonance amplified by Araki’s eclectic and atmospheric soundtracks.
After a steady stream of films culminating in 2014’s “White Bird in a Blizzard”, Araki’s sudden disappearance from the industry was unexpected, especially as society was becoming more open and supportive of gay rights. Now, after a twelve-year hiatus, Araki bursts back onto the scene with the provocatively titled “I Want Your Sex”. While the world has grown more progressive in his absence, mainstream cinema has grown tamer, with few daring to push boundaries as he once did. The real question is whether Araki’s millennial edge and transgressive spirit still resonate with today’s audiences.
Considering Araki’s indie roots, I was genuinely surprised to see “I Want Your Sex” secure a reasonably wide cinematic release in the UK. Though not a blockbuster rollout, it played in several mainstream cinemas, sparing me the usual hunt for a hidden indie cinema and letting me catch it with ease last weekend.
Araki’s latest film bursts onto the screen with his signature flair: a pop-punk, colour-soaked lens that channels the moody glamour of classic neo-noir, evoking Billy Wilder’s 1950 classic, “Sunset Boulevard”. This striking opening may not fully deliver on its promise, but it brilliantly introduces our protagonist, Elliot (Cooper Hoffman), as he stumbles upon a naked woman floating face-down in the pool of a lavish mansion. The story then pivots to a police investigation, with Elliot recounting his time as assistant to the enigmatic erotic artist Erika Tracy (Olivia Wilde).
Elliot, a directionless 23-year-old, was drifting through life—unemployed, living with his best friend Apple (Chase Sui Wonders), and trapped in a stagnant, nearly sexless relationship with his distracted girlfriend Minerva (Charli XCX). Enter Erika, whose emotional and sexual dominance quickly fixates on Elliot’s innocence and lacklustre love life. She proposes a casual, workplace BDSM arrangement, casting him as her submissive. Eager to explore his fantasies, Elliot leaps at the chance, only to find himself developing real feelings for his enigmatic boss despite her clear lack of reciprocation.
After waiting over a decade for Araki’s big-screen return, and wondering how his bold style would land with today’s viewers, I was delighted to discover that “I Want Your Sex” is perhaps his most accessible film yet. Though strictly for adults, Araki’s signature camp isn’t weighed down by the dark, gut-wrenching themes of his earlier work. Instead, the film is light and playful, skewering the absurdities of modern art and poking fun at contemporary attitudes toward sex among young adults. While I wouldn’t call Gen-Z prudish, they do seem less sexually open than previous generations.
In classic Araki fashion, “I Want Your Sex” dazzles with a vibrant, candy-coloured palette that mirrors Erika’s provocative artwork. The film gleefully lampoons the world of modern art through Wilde’s sexually commanding artist, who openly admits her work is a sham, relying on her name to transform smut into high art for eager collectors. Fresh off her hilarious turn in her own feature film “The Invite”, Wilde delivers her most fearless performance yet as the glamorous, domineering neo-pop star. She throws herself into the outrageous role, making her BDSM dynamic with Cooper Hoffman’s naïve muse utterly believable. Hoffman, meanwhile, continues to shine as a rising talent, following in his late father’s footsteps with impressive ease, having already delivered standout lead performances in “Licorice Pizza” (2021) and “The Long Walk” (2025).
The film’s core power dynamic—a much older woman commanding her younger assistant—feels refreshingly original. While supporting players Daveed Diggs, Charli XCX, and Mason Gooding each have their moments, this unruly central relationship pulses at the heart of Araki’s latest work.
The film does falter, however, with its flimsy thriller subplot and awkward framing device. The murder-mystery opening promises intrigue and decadence, but ultimately fizzles out, with underwhelming twists that pale in comparison to the film’s dynamic relationships. The film could have deepened the noir elements and extended the runtime for richer character exploration, but instead they feel tacked on, diluting the impact of Elliot’s recollections and the police detectives played by Johnny Knoxville and Margaret Cho.
I found the central characters’ frankness refreshing, especially in an era when mainstream cinema often shies away from explicit themes. While some viewers may find the sexual content and transgressive style a bit much, long-time fans of Gregg Araki will be thrilled to see him return to new queer cinema with his most uproarious film yet.
I Want Your Sex is now showing in UK Cinemas
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