One of the many new films that wereadded to Netflixat the beginning of the month isMolly Manning Walkers directorial debut,How to Have Sex.
Dont be fooled by the title or premisea trio of 16-year-old British girls on a wild holiday in GreeceHow to Have Sexis not a raunchy sex comedy buta meditative coming-of-age film about peer pressure and sexual assault.It also features one of the most underrated lead performances of 2024 fromMia McKenna-Bruceas Tara, our bubbly protagonist who sets out to lose her virginity while on holiday, only to end up feeling socially excluded and traumatized by the end of the trip.
Her performanceand the film at largeis a masterclass in showing, not telling,andHow to Have Sexis a visceral slice-of-life film that treats its delicate subject matter with the empathy and sensitivity it deserves.
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How To Have Sex Is a Candid Exploration of Social Pressure and Sexual Assault
Written and directed by Manning Walker,How to Have Sexpremiered at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival, winning the top prize in theUn Certain Regardsection before its theatrical release in the United States inFebruary 2024.
It follows Tara (Mia McKenna-Bruce) and her two best friends, Em (Enva Lewis) and Skye (Lara Peake),on vacation in Crete, Greece, after completing their GSCE school exams, who spend the weekenddrinking and partyingwith reckless abandon.Taras goal for the trip is to lose her virginity, and when they befriend another group of rowdy British vacationers, she shows interest in Badger (Shaun Thomas), but Skye tries to convince her she can do better and nudges her towards Paddy (Samuel Bottomley).
After beingcoerced into sexwith Paddy on the beach one night, he sexually assaults her the following day, and the film centers on Taras emotional state as she comes to terms with whats happened to her.
Three British teenage girls go on a rites-of-passage holiday - drinking, clubbing and hooking up, in what should be the best summer of their lives.
Some hidden gems.
How to Have Sexs intimate, documentary-style camerawork brings us into this colorful landscape full of cheap alcohol, sexual innuendo, and nonstop partying, whileMcKenna-Bruces nuanced performance tells us exactly whats going on in Taras headthroughout the trip.
Her character is introduced as being charming, outgoing, and full of energy, but we very soon see how Tara feels like the odd one out, embarrassed by herlack of sexual experienceanduncomfortable with a lot of the overt sexuality on display over the course of their vacation.The encouragement of her friends to find someone to sleep with soon starts to feel like peer pressure, especially coming from Skye, who reveals herself to be apretty terrible friendas their holiday progresses.
Three British teenage girls go on a rites-of-passage holiday - drinking, clubbing and hooking up, in what should be the best summer of their lives.
What should be a weekend of fun brings Taras insecurities to the forefrontabout her age, her virginity, and her lack of academic success compared to Em and Skyeandshe finds herself pushed to the sidelines of their new group of friends,leaving her in dangerous situations.
The success ofHow to Have Sexrests largely on McKenna-Bruces shoulders, and she does an incredible job of mapping out her emotional journey throughout a tumultuous weekend.
Mia McKenna-Bruce Gives a Star-Making Performance in How To Have Sex'
The larger ensemble cast ofHow to Have Sexall give great, naturalistic performances that make their characters feel lived in, butMcKenna-Bruce is undeniably the breakout star of the film, even winning theRising Star Awardat the 2024 BAFTAs.Her physicality is most impressive, and the changes in her body language throughout the film as she becomes disillusioned and begins to process her assault speak for themselves.How to Have Sexs overwhelming, pulse-pounding nightclub scenes are contrasted with quieter moments that reallydrive the film and allow McKenna-Bruce to shine.The films mostemotionally impactful momentsare those where Tara is completely silent, and the subtleties McKenna-Bruce brings to her performance tell us exactly how shes feeling at any given moment, even as she attempts to hide her emotions from the others.
Taras naivete turns to numbness as her first two sexual experiencesleave her traumatized, and little details like the wayshe wrings her hands and fiddles with her hair and clothing to soothe herself when shes uncomfortableor upset will make you want to reach through the screen and hug her.
The roller coaster of emotions shes able to convey before quickly pulling herself back together so as not to ruin anyone elses fun is devastating to watch, andanyone who has gone through similar experiences can immediately identify with her character.
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Three British teenage girls go on a rites-of-passage holiday - drinking, clubbing and hooking up, in what should be the best summer of their lives.
