TIFF 2023 | Movie Review: "How To Have Sex" Is Less Like A Guide and More Like A Cautionary Tale
10/12 ForReel Score | 4/5 Stars
A film with a title like How To Have Sex may elicit a range of assumptions, most of which wouldn’t capture the sweet intricacies a film like this has to offer. In contrast to what the title may suggest, the story is not a how-to guide, but rather an insight into the group of young women who are experiencing a pivotal moment in their lives. Former cinematographer and first time writer/director Molly Manning Walker (Scrapper) creates a film about the celebration of sexual liberation and the dark side to that rite of passage.
Image courtesy of TIFF
While awaiting exam results, three best friends Tara (Mia McKenna-Bruce, Vampire Academy), Skye (Lara Peake, Mood), and Em (Enva Lewis) take a holiday to a resort town in Greece. The trio devise a plan in order to lay the final virgin, Tara, by the end of the trip. With a sea of other British students looking to have fun, it shouldn't be too difficult for the effervescent young blonde. Not long into the holiday, the girls make friends with the room opposite theirs, which opens up a number of opportunities for Tara. There's the dopey sweetheart Badger (Shaun Thomas, Ladhood) and ladies man Paddy (Samuel Bottomley, Ackley Bridge). Anarchy ensues when the two social circles merge.
Walker portrays young party culture more honestly than most films. It's rambunctious and sloppy, not glamorized, and overall a fun experience. Thanks in large part to the film's choice of techno EDM music, the summer 2016 is brought to the forefront of my mind. I am taken back to the youthful mindset in regards to a high school graduate facing a future of uncertainty with anticipation. I remember these types of parties and being surrounded by a similar crowd. Much of reality is blurred by the booze and the need to claim experience - to be the one who plants the flag at the top of the mountain, to enter adulthood with as few firsts as possible. That determination contorts Tara’s judgment and her closest friends' observation of what is thought to be a momentous occasion.
Tara is put in an uncomfortable position and doesn’t want to be the one to end the party. She continues to play along, drinking and dancing but her pain is seen in flashing moments. Mia McKenna-Bruce’s micro facial expressions are marvelous, expressing feelings of isolation, confusion, and self-doubt without uttering a single word. There is a dance sequence of hers that sent a chill up my spine and I couldn’t help but cry. The only way for Tara to express herself and release all the ranging thoughts is to jump up on stage and shake out all of her fury. It is so deeply human.
Cinematographer Nicolas Canniccioni (Rojek) fills every frame with allurement. With a refined eye, he’s able to capture the grand festivities of party culture and the quiet pain that it can lead to as well. There’s a visual poetry to his work that elevates the story beyond what’s on the page, making the film one of the most immersive films of the decade so far.
How To Have Sex serves as a nuanced reminder that consent is not a gray area and assumptions should never be taken as a confirmation. With society still trying to instill these principles in individuals, Molly Manning Walker delves into an experience that is far too familiar for many women with How To Have Sex. The film does struggle to bridge all the genres it’s going for, but regardless of its minor flaws, it is more than deserving of my highest praise. Not many coming of age films are able to achieve such a quiet roar, making How To Have Sex essential viewing for teenagers and young adults.
Acting and Casting - 2 | Visual Effects and Editing - 2 | Story and Message - 2| Entertainment Value - 1 | Music Score and Soundtrack - 2| Reviewer's Preference -1 | What does this mean?