A staple of the Sundance Film Festival, Gregg Araki returns to the festival after a long hiatus with his latest take on Zillenial sexuality with “I Want Your Sex.” A sledgehammer to the ever-growing online prudery of younger generations, Araki imbues his signature style to destroy the exhausting online discourse of sex in movies.
What transpires is sexy, sleazy, and laugh-out-loud romp of eroticism, sexual fantasy and sub/dom dynamics. “I Want Your Sex” feels like he’s speaking directly to online generation and reminding everyone that if you’re human, it’s really ok to be horny. Biting wit and sharp criticisms of expression and art help to elevate it all above the early 2000s Skinemax framework, letting it’s freak flag fly while delivering plenty of comedy and backdoor-ing (pun intended) its themes in the process.
Extremely campy and neon-colored, “I Want Your Sex” follows a young drifter Elliot (Cooper Hoffman) who finally gets a job at an avant guard art gallery headed by the sexually charged auteur mogul, Erika (Olivia Wilde). Stuck in a dead relationship with his girlfriend (Charlie XCX) who shuns every single sexual advance and attempt, he is quickly drawn in by Erika’s frankness and sexuality. She identifies his lack of confidence, and she initiates a sexually charged (albeit inappropriate) wild sub/dom relationship with him. But while Elliot is at first obsessed with this newfound sexual freedom, things begin to spiral out of control as her demands get more and more uncomfortable and start to upend his life and friendships. The film also starts Chase Sui Wonder, Mason Gooding, Daveed Diggs, Margaret Cho and Johnny Knoxville.
The palpable chemistry between Wilde and Hoffman fuels the film, with Wilde absolutely commanding the screen in one of her best performances to date. She is absolutely serving; dominating and confident but also terrifying and borderline sociopathic. And yes – sexy as hell. I would absolutely throw away my life to sub for Wilde in “I Want Your Sex,” and she proves that while she’s still pretty solid behind the camera, she is a wonder to behold in front of it too. Wilde is completely committed here, and Hoffman continues his untouchable run with his pitch perfect comedic timing and affable charm. He’s the perfect sub and I am continually impressed with his journey of coming (pun intended) into his own.
Araki setting this sex crazed romp in the art world is fitting, the film understands sex is complicated and simple no matter how you slice it, and each person interprets their own desires – good and bad – differently, leading to a wide array of interpretations with no real standard for normal. Art and sex are both subjective, and the idea that one preference or mindset supersedes another is staunchly false according to Araki, and not so subtlety injects these ideas into every rambling about art and culture and sex our characters spout off. Layer all of that with a noir mystery at the center and “I Want Your Sex” becomes familiar but unique at the same time. That noir does leave a little bit to be desired, as it is probably the least developed of his ideas and pairs best with the vibrant neon colors, but then Wilde lubes up a bright pink dildo with a naked Hoffman bent over her lap for um, stuff – and you kind of forget about what’s missing.
For all its kink and wild sex scenes, there is a bit of holding back and imbalance as it hurdles towards its conclusion. “I Want Your Sex” may be better served by Araki sticking to one idea and going for broke with it instead of trying to stitch a plethora of ideas together. It doesn’t quite stick the landing, but the journey getting there feels more than worth it. He carefully constructs an indictment of new age puratinism without every feeling like an old man yelling at clouds. Araki is acutely aware of not just what sex is (see literally anything he’s ever made) and the online discourse that surrounds it, but also how we got here in the first place. This is where he succeeds where many others have tried, leaving “I Want Your Sex” standing tall among his older peers attempting to understand the kids today.
It may not be everyone’s vibe, and I’m sure that “no sex in movies” crowd will absolutely hate this mirror image movie, but “I Want Your Sex” ended up being everything I wanted it to be and more from the acclaimed filmmaker. Could it use some refinement in the package and a stronger ending? Sure. But at the end of the day it more than achieves what it sets out to do and thanks to a wholly committed cast an absolutely mesmerizing performance from Wilde, “I Want Your Sex” is one of the best films of Sundance. Let movies be horny again!
Please don’t watch this with your parents. I don’t care how cute they think Hoffman is. Just trust me on this one.
Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars
“I Want Your Sex” had its World Premiere at The Sundance Film Festival on January 23rd, 2026.
