Attention ’90s indie cinephiles: Gregg Araki’s “I Want Your Sex” does exist, and just premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.
In the film, Cooper Hoffman stars as Olivia Wilde’s “sexual muse.” This marks Araki’s first feature in over a decade, based on an original script co-written with Karley Sciortino (“Slutever,” “Now Apocalypse”).
As more reviews come in, reactions are starting to look more mixed. It sounds like a silly sex comedy.
That said, I’m quite excited for Araki’s return, and some of the reviews, although not raves, hint at a good time at the movies — positive reviews coming in from Variety, Deadline, The Wrap, THR. Then again, mixed takes from ScreenRant, The Guardian (2/5), Vulture, The Film Stage, IndieWire (B-), and Screen — the latter calls it “limp.
Here’s the synopsis:
When fresh-faced Elliot lands a dream job with renowned artist, icon, and provocateur Erika Tracy (Wilde), he is tapped to become her sexual muse. But as Erika leads him deeper into her world, Elliot finds himself navigating a realm of sex, obsession, power, betrayal, and murder far beyond anything he imagined.
“I Want Your Sex” was passed over by both Cannes and Venice. That doesn’t mean the film is bad, just that it didn’t fit the programmers’ criteria. Back in September, a source told me Araki had finally settled on a Sundance premiere for his film.
Araki hasn’t released a feature since 2014’s underrated “White Bird in a Blizzard.” Since then, he’s mostly worked in TV, directing on “13 Reasons Why,” “Dahmer,” and creating his own series, “Now Apocalypse.”
The director says “I Want Your Sex” is “cut from the same cloth” as his Teen Apocalypse Trilogy—”Totally F***ed Up,” “The Doom Generation,” and “Nowhere.” Yet, many still consider his most enduring work to be “Mysterious Skin,” released nearly a decade after that trilogy.