'I Want Your Sex' starring Olivia Wilde, Cooper Hoffman takes on Gen Z's sex recession with provocative film

When it comes to movies that explore sex, filmmaker Gregg Araki, a pioneering voice in queer cinema, is the person to go to. With I Want Your Sex, starring Cooper Hoffman and Olivia Wilde, described as a response to data showing that Gen Z is having less sex, Araki crafted a movie that is creative, provocative, daring, fun, funny, and unapologetically messy.

I Want Your Sex is a film that very much tells you it's OK, and actually best, if you're exploring who you are in your 20s and making mistakes along the way. Filled with sharp comedy and electric visuals, the erotic film is pure pleasure.

I Want Your Sex release date: July 31Cast: Olivia Wilde, Cooper Hoffman, Mason Gooding, Chase Sui Wonders, Johnny Knoxville, Margaret Cho, Roxane Mesquida, Charli xcx, Daveed DiggsDirector: Gregg ArakiWriters: Karley Sciortino & Gregg ArakiRuntime: 1 hour 30 minutes

What is 'I Want Your Sex' about?

In I Want Your Sex, Elliot (Hoffman) lands a job interning for a multimedia artist, Erika Tracy (Wilde), whose art is about sex. When she calls Elliott into her office, he thinks he's getting fired, but it's for a completely different reason.

Elliot and Erika start their dominant-submissive relationship, with Erika initiating increasingly wild sexual scenarios, while he also becomes her artistic muse.

But we're watching the trajectory of this relationship unfold as Elliot is recounting the events that led up to a dead body in a pool to detectives, played by Margaret Cho and Johnny Knoxville.

Cooper Hoffman & Olivia Wilde in I Want Your Sex (Elevation Pictures)

Kink, consent and the chaos of self-discovery

Araki dives deep into the complexity of the film's characters, particularly Erika, sitting in her power. At the same time, Wilde also brings just enough vulnerability to a role that doesn't shy away from the most questionable parts of the relationship with Elliot. That's also assisted by using the police questioning format.

Through Hoffman's Elliot we get a satisfying exploration of someone searching for their identity and where they fit in the world, but in a way that directly addresses consent and boundaries.

Charli xcx and Cooper Hoffman in I Want Your Sex (Elevation Pictures)

Special mention has to be given to Charli xcx, who plays Elliot's girlfriend, Minerva, who gives one of the best performances in the whole film when she fakes an orgasm that is so incredibly deadpan.

Visually, I Want Your Sex leans into vibrant colours and a very pop aesthetic, making the film even sharper.

But most importantly, I Want Your Sex is a film that entertains by being knowingly outrageous and provocative, but also passionate, with a cast that was clearly ready and able to explore every element of this story, from the most erotic moments to the film's funniest lines, and direct cultural commentary.

While the film has some moments that feel too frenzied and frantic, it's an exciting film that's certainly a conversation starter. Araki is directly exploring sexual kinks, ageist perspectives on sex and sexuality, and sexual liberation, but is also inviting the audience to have fun.

In a society that often shames female desire and believes that a woman's sexuality and ability to be desired sexually has an expiration date, I Want Your Sex is a great big middle finger to those lies we've been fed for decades.