Let's start with that salacious title. Boy, does that ever set a tone! And yes, the film is every bit as salacious as it implies.
Then again, Gregg Araki (The Living End) has never been a filmmaker interested in playing things safe, and thank goodness for that. I Want Your Sex is exactly the kind of gloriously weird, funny, provocative, and unexpectedly heartfelt movie that only he could make. The title practically winks at you before the opening scene even begins, daring us to clutch our pearls.
Instead, I found myself laughing far more than blushing. Sure, it's cringy… but, in all the right places, and that's part of the joke. Romance has always been awkward. Sex has always been awkward. Sex with one’s boss has always been awkward. Thankfully, Araki simply refuses to pretend otherwise.
The film kicks off with a delicious nod to Sunset Boulevard, showing Elliot (Cooper Hoffman, Licorice Pizza) dragging the seemingly lifeless Erika Tracy (Olivia Wilde) from a swimming pool before flashing back "9½ weeks" to reveal how this train wreck of lust, art, and obsession came to be. That cheeky title card alone told me I was in capable hands. If you're going to reference 9½ Weeks, you might as well have some fun with it. And we did.
From there, the story spirals into an intoxicating cocktail of BDSM, contemporary art, manipulation, masturbation, murder, mystery, and emotional chaos. Somehow, Araki juggles all those ingredients without ever dropping the ball. The result feels like Secretary wandered into an art gallery, bumped into Body Double, grabbed drinks with Saltburn, and then spent the evening gossiping about everyone's terrible dating choices.
What surprised me most was how endearing the central relationship becomes. Beneath all the provocative imagery and satirical edge lies a surprisingly sincere examination of loneliness and intimacy in the modern age. Araki has always gravitated toward characters who are horny, confused, emotionally adrift, and spectacularly gifted at making terrible decisions. I Want Your Sex fits comfortably into that tradition. But he updates those themes for a generation navigating dating apps, blurred boundaries, and relationships that often feel more transactional than romantic.
Olivia Wilde absolutely owns this movie. Her Erika Tracy is seductive, manipulative, vulnerable, hilarious, and impossible to look away from. She completely disappears into the role, delivering a strong performance. Between this and this year’s The Invite, the woman is proving that she's capable of far more than audiences sometimes give her credit for. Not to be overshadowed, Hoffman matches her beat for beat, bringing an innocence that makes Elliot's gradual descent both funny and surprisingly heartbreaking.
The supporting cast only amplifies the madness. Charli XCX slides into Araki's offbeat universe, while Johnny Knoxville, Margaret Cho, and Mason Gooding each find memorable moments that add to the film's wonderfully chaotic energy.
What I appreciated most is that Araki never treats the film's provocative subject matter as mere shock value. Yes, there's plenty of sex, kink, and outrageous humor, but underneath it all is a biting satire about modern relationships and our endless search for connection. Sound familiar, Millenials? It’s playful enough that it never feels offensive, yet is insightful enough to leave you thinking long after the credits roll.
I walked into I Want Your Sex having no idea what to expect. I walked out having seen one of the year's funniest films—and one of its smartest romantic satires. It reminds us that love is messy, lust is even messier, and sometimes the quickest way to someone's heart isn't through flowers or candlelight... it's through your boss’s desk. Gregg Araki once again proves that nobody captures beautiful emotional disasters quite like he does.
MPAA Rating: R.
Runtime: 90 mins
Director: Gregg Araki
Writer: Gregg Araki
Cast: Olivia Wilde; Cooper Hoffman; Johnny Knoxville, Margaret Cho
Genre: Comedy | Drama
Tagline: Don't Worry, You'll Like It.
Memorable Movie Quote: "Come over here so I can take a batter look at you."
Distributor: Black Bear
Official Site:
Release Date: July 31, 2026
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date:
Synopsis: Elliot lands a job for Erika Tracy as her sexual muse.
