Film Review – I Want Your Sex (2026)

      I Want Your Sex, 2026.

      Written and Directed by Gregg Araki.

      Featuring Olivia Wilde, Cooper Hoffman, Mason Gooding, Chase Sui Wonders, Daveed Diggs, Charli xcx, Johnny Knoxville, Margaret Cho, Roxane Mesquida, George Todd McLachlan, and James Duval.

      SYNOPSIS:

      Elliot takes on a role as Erika Tracy's sexual muse. As a curator of a sexuality-focused art gallery, Olivia Wilde's Erika Tracy introduces the 12-years-younger Cooper Hoffman’s Elliot into the complexities of the kink lifestyle right from his first day on the job. The narrative unfolds through a series of flashbacks interrupted by a present-day police interrogation led by Johnny Knoxville, probing into an unfolding mystery. The return of writer/director Gregg Araki's provocatively entertaining I Want Your Sex seems almost intentionally structured to afford Elliot the opportunity to ease the potential discomfort of modern viewers, including mainstream audiences and sex-averse members of Generation Z, by consistently acknowledging that much of what unfolds is unacceptable behavior from someone in authority. However, he is also exploring some of his concealed desires and thus consents to quickly becoming a fully submissive participant for this sociopathic, narcissistic, sex-driven dominatrix.

      The key word there is “almost,” as this particular filmmaker likely remains indifferent to such concerns. In fact, he appears eager to challenge a society that habitually attempts to dictate who should engage in sexual relationships and under what circumstances, a matter that is none of their business. Elliot also grapples with being a sex addict, either due to his bookish, academically focused girlfriend Minerva (Charli xcx in yet another role diverging from her public persona) not providing him with the intimacy he seeks or being too inexperienced and naive to recognize that she is faking orgasms during their scarce sexual encounters (which, in these instances, are more of her yielding for a night).

      Erika is described by another character as “the pretentious whore from hell,” a sentiment with which one can only concur (no shaming intended). It would be an understatement to declare these performances from Olivia Wilde and Cooper Hoffman the boldest of their careers, considering how provocative and daring they are. Fresh from directing the single-setting dysfunctional marriage/sex comedy The Invite, in which she also stars, Olivia Wilde presents a more repressed, unfulfilled side that closely parallels the character Cooper Hoffman portrays here.

      It’s significant to note that watching both films will certainly create a sense of disorientation regarding Olivia Wilde’s versatility as an actress, shifting from an unsatisfied character to the other extreme—a demanding, sexually adventurous goddess who often interrupts her own projects for indulgence; she is determined to satisfy her desires, even encouraging Elliot to explore new experiences like being pegged or having a girlfriend join them for a threesome. As for Cooper Hoffman, one can’t help but sense pride from his late father, Philip Seymour Hoffman, with each role he embraces, showing a nonchalant approach toward attaining star power while gradually rising to prominence.

      Much of the film plays for laughs, often unrefined, fully aware of Erika's manipulativeness, while Elliot may also appear somewhat deranged for continuously returning to her (in both physical and metaphorical senses). As their dynamic deepens, it begins to unravel his life. Simultaneously, the film serves as a commentary on sexuality itself, introducing a European character with contrasting views on intimacy, only for Erika to scorn these views upon her departure.

      However, it’s important to note that I Want Your Sex doesn't aim to deliver profound insights; the presence of cartoonish elements and several misleading endings indicate that while there are certainly takeaways regarding sexual psychology, the primary intent is sheer enjoyment. Even as it may become exhausting at times, the lengths to which Gregg Araki and his lead actors go to provoke the audience (potentially in more ways than one) ensure that the film maintains its perverted, adventurous energy. It’s bold and effective at encouraging the audience to shed their sexual inhibitions in contemporary society.

      Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★

      Robert Kojder