‘I Want Your Sex’: Gregg Araki’s Hilarious Film Explores The Nature Of Intimacy

Queer cinema icon Gregg Araki is back, and he’s got a message for younger generations: put yourself out there, no matter the consequences. For Cooper Hoffman’s Elliot in I Want Your Sex, Araki’s first film in well over a decade, those consequences may end up life-ruining – but there’s no doubting he finds out a hell of a lot about himself in the process.

Everything changes for the young, dumb, and horny Elliot once he enters the employ of Erika Tracy (Olivia Wilde), a renowned artist known for combining the sensual and the cerebral. His sexless relationship with Minerva (Charli xcx) leads him to fantasise about Erika.

Soon, his wildest fantasies come true as his boss begins a passionate affair with him where he is the sub to his dom. Yet as Erika pushes Elliot’s limits, consequences begin to compound for the young lad. Will Erika ruin his life, and – an even better question – will Elliot actually be into seeing her do it?

As with Araki’s previous work, I Want Your Sex traces outside the lines of social taboos to explore the nature of human pleasure. Although Elliot and Erika’s relationship is considered illicit, the forbidden aspect of it is exactly what they both like so much about it. When Elliot is asked about the nature of his relationship with Erika in the film, the first word that comes to mind is “Thankful.”

Hoffman’s line delivery here is played as a joke (as many are; this is a hilarious film), but it still taps into something true about the nature of desire – that socially acceptable desires and what we really want are often two different things. The prevalence of this theme would make I Want Your Sex a fantastic double feature with Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma.

I Want Your Sex captures the messiness of taboo desire

Yet crucially, Araki also captures the messiness of these desires and the way that they can lead to hurt feelings (or much worse) without proper communication. Though much of the film is a genuine hoot, several scenes really tap into how important it is to communicate properly with a partner, especially in cases where pain is pleasure.

Cooper Hoffman and Oliva Wilde are largely responsible for this balance, given that they both pretty much perfectly portray their characters. Hoffman’s talents are particularly well-applied to the nervy Elliot as he gets deeper and deeper into this situation, while Olivia Wilde is pitch-perfect as a semi-pretentious artist and domineering sexual partner – 2026 has been a real reminder of her talents.

A wonderful cast of supporting actors also all support the idea that Elliot might be in over his head. These include Mason Gooding as the dejectedly sharp and very gay Zap, Daveed Diggs’ tired Vikktor, and a wonderful Chase Sui Wonders as Apple, Elliot’s best friend who gets unexpectedly dragged into his escapades. Charli xcx is also quite funny in her bit part as Minerva, playing utterly against type as a diligent medical student.

The film does begin to circle the drain a bit by the end, and it’s another film that reminds me why I miss when directors had to shoot on celluloid film rather than digital cameras. Nonetheless, I Want Your Sex is a highly entertaining film about exploring different generations’ relationships to intimacy which only Gregg Araki could make – and I think that’s recommendation enough.

★★★★

I Want Your Sex is in theatres August 27th.