How to Have Sex Movie Spoiler Review: Complexity and Darkness of Consent
The film touches on the idea that sexual experiences can be both pleasurable and painful. It effectively portrays the complexities of teenage life and relationships.
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Director: Molly Manning Walker
Writer: Molly Manning Walker
Cinematography: Nicolas Canniccioni
Music: James Jacob
Main Cast:
Mia McKenna-Bruce as Tara
Lara Peake as Skye
Samuel Bottomley as Paddy
Shaun Thomas as Badger
Enva Lewis as Em
Release Date: 19 May 2023 (Cannes), 3 November 2023 (United Kingdom), 2 February 2024(United States)
Runtime: 1 hour 31 minutes
How to Have Sex Movie Synopsis
How to Have Sex follows the story of three best friends, Tara, Em, and Skye, who embark on a rite-of-passage holiday to the party resort of Malia on the Greek island of Crete. The girls look forward to a summer of drinking, clubbing, and hooking up, all while navigating the complexities of their friendship and the challenges of growing up.
Tara, the only virgin in the group, feels pressure to match the sexual experiences of her friends. However, as the girls delve into the chaotic and hedonistic world of Malia, they are confronted with issues of consent and the consequences of their actions.
How to Have Sex Movie Complete Plot (Spoiler Ahead)
Three 16-year-old best friends, Tara, Em, and Skye, embark on a trip to the party resort of Malia, which is located on the Greek island of Crete. This vacation is meant to be a coming-of-age experience for the girls. While Em is set to attend college in the fall, Tara and Skye are still exploring their options for the future. They anticipate a summer filled with fun, drinking, clubbing, and romantic encounters, hoping it will be the best time of their lives. As the only virgin among the trio, Tara feels a certain pressure to catch up with her friends' sexual experiences.
While on the trip, she meets a neighboring guest named Badger, who flirts with her and invites her to spend the night partying with his friends. Meanwhile, Skye, who secretly likes Badger, encourages Tara to lose her virginity to Paddy, one of Badger's roommates. Tara grows closer to Badger but is disheartened by his behavior during a game at an outdoor club. She instead leaves with Paddy, who pressures her for sex, which she reluctantly agrees to.
The next morning, Tara is missing, but she eventually returns and reveals that she spent the night with kind strangers after having sex with Paddy. She is embarrassed by her experience and only shares it with Em while attempting to avoid admitting it to Skye. Additionally, Tara learns that she failed her exams and will have to retake them, further upsetting her.
Badger takes care of Tara when she grows distant from the group and declines their invitation to skinny-dip at the beach. However, when he witnesses Paddy making romantic overtures to Tara, he is heartbroken. Later, when Tara and Paddy are alone, Paddy attempts to initiate sex with her again despite her pleas to stop. Still, he is interrupted during intercourse by Tara's friends joining them in the bedroom.
On the final day of the trip, Tara privately admits to Em that Paddy had repeatedly had sex with her while she was asleep, which she considered as rape. Em is sympathetic but asserts that Tara should have said something during the trip. The friends return to the airport, and Em promises Tara they will overcome their troubles as they board the plane back to England.
How to Have Sex Movie Ending Explained
How To Have Sex The movie ends with all three girls leaving the island and going back to England. Before that, it was shown that Tara, the main character, had grown distant from the friend circle and could not tell anyone what had happened to her on the beach. She finally tells Em that she was taken forcibly by Paddy, and it was against her will. Em tells Tara that she should have told her during the trip and expresses everything will be alright. Throughout the movie, Tara's journey is shown as some adventure in the beginning, which turns out to be chaotic. In the end scene, they are running to board their flight to England, and we see Tara is still upset but gathers courage and shows excitement about returning home.
The movie's ending is documentary-like and leaves viewers thinking about various choices and decisions today's teens make. It dives into the grey area of the importance of consent and the complexities of sexual experiences. The movie will not give you a fairy tale ending or end on a positive note, but it leaves the audience with various questions.
How to Have Sex Movie Star Cast Performance
26-year-old Mia McKenna-Bruce's performance as Tara in the movie is captivating, and she has perfectly done a portrayal of a 16-year-old teen. All the performances in the film are naturalistic and draw the audience into the character's world. Lara Peake as Skye and Enva Lewis as Em are the supporting leads. The trio of Tara, Skye, and Em fits as a perfect teenage girl group looking for fun. Special mention for the boys in the movie: Samuel Bottomley as Paddy and Shaun Thomas as Badger. Samuel Portayal is a rich teenager who doesn't care about anyone's feelings and is simply looking for fun. At the same time, Shaun Thomas's character shows a complete character arc in the movie, going from a carefree teenager to an understanding, mature one.
How to Have Sex Movie Review (Our Verdict)
How to Have Sex is a very different and very good film. It may look like a crazy teen adventure, but it has a dark tone.
The movie is shot in a documentary style, but you can easily connect with the characters. The only complaint about the movie is about some of the choices made by the characters, and less involvement of Parents is shown in the film. The current party culture and carefree nature of the current generation of teens are shown negatively in the movie, which is not bad.
The movie allows viewers to understand the world through a character's eyes, experiencing their world. It captures the complexity and darkness of consent and how quickly situations can change. First-time writer-director Molly Manning Walker has done a good job capturing a good performance from the cast and the complexity of the subject matter. The movie is only 1 hour 31 minutes long and could have been longer to address the consequences of various characters.
Watching the movie made us think about today's current generation's situation and the importance of the involvement of parents in their careers. We cannot ignore the importance of sexual consent and also have some boundaries for our GENZ.
FAQs
What is the release date of How To Have Sex in the USA?
The release date of How To Have Sex in the USA is 2 February 2024.
Who is the director of How To Have Sex?
The director of How To Have Sex is Molly Manning Walker.
When was How To Have Sex released in the UK?
How To Have Sex was released in the UK on November 3, 2023.
Where can you stream How To Have Sex movie?
Currently, you can stream How To Have Sex on MUBI in the UK.
What is the genre of How To Have Sex?
How To Have Sex is a drama film.
What is the rating of the movie "How To Have Sex"?
The movie has an R rating in the United States and is rated 15 in the UK for strong language, sex, and drug use.
Is there nudity in the movie "How To Have Sex"?
The movie features scenes involving sexual content and drug use, but there is no complete nudity or any explicit scenes.
What are some of the themes explored in How To Have Sex?
Some of the themes explored in How To Have Sex include teenage sexuality, friendship, and coming of age.
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