Set in the contemporary art world, the satirical erotic drama became one of the Sundance’s most talked-about films. So much so, it secured a seven-figure U.S. distribution deal this week.
The title I Want Your Sex is doing exactly what it’s supposed to do.
What director Gregg Araki delivers is not a provocation without purpose, but a controlled, sharply observed satire that understands how sex, power, and art overlap — and how easily they’re confused for one another. The film is raunchy and funny, seductive and awkward, and often deliberately uncomfortable. It’s also far more thoughtful than its blunt title suggests.
Premiering at Sundance, where Araki returned for the 11th time, I Want Your Sex played like the work of a filmmaker fully at ease with his creativity. It’s confident without being precious, weird without being alienating, and anchored by performances that mesh seamlessly.
When Satire and Erotica Collide
Set within the self-serious, ego-driven world of contemporary art, I Want Your Sex centers on Elliot (Cooper Hoffman), a kind-hearted but aimless twentysomething whose life shifts when he lands a job working for renowned artist and provocateur Erika Tracy (Olivia Wilde). What begins as professional proximity quickly turns into something far more sexually sinister. Erika breaks down office boundaries and draws Elliot into a sexual relationship that reframes him not just as a lover, but as a muse, a subordinate, and a projection of her own desires.
As Elliot becomes more entangled, he’s forced to confront what he actually wants and what he’s willing to give up to stay in Erika’s orbit. His fixation begins to strain his relationships with his tightly wound girlfriend, Minerva (Charli xcx), and his emotionally guarded roommate, Apple (Chase Sui Wonders), while the power imbalance between him and Erika becomes increasingly difficult to ignore. The film steadily escalates, mixing satire, romantic comedy, and mystery, until the stakes feel less erotic and more existential.
Araki frames the story as a kind of sex noir. The film is stylized but never glossy, seductive but knowingly off. Sex is everywhere, but it’s rarely the point. Instead, it operates as a mechanism: a form of currency, a means of control, and a performance that masks insecurity and ambition. The art world setting sharpens that critique. Galleries, critics, and curated personas become part of the same ecosystem where transgression is celebrated — as long as it’s branded correctly.
What works is that the movie doesn’t try to over-explain itself. It lets things get weird, uncomfortable, and a little messy, which feels intentional. You’re not being told how to feel about anyone; you’re just watching it all play out. It also becomes pretty obvious that you’re meant to root for Elliot, even as his choices get stranger and his love life spirals further into the bizarre. There’s a real curiosity in seeing how far he’ll let things go, and what he’s willing to overlook in the name of obsession, connection, or love.
Performance Check
I think Wilde is meant to be the star of this movie, but Hoffman quickly takes the shine.
Wilde plays Erika with complete confidence and never tries to soften her edges or make the character more likable than she’s meant to be. She perfectly portrays how power works in subtle ways: calm, charming, and convincing without ever needing to announce itself. In the post-premiere Q&A at Sundance, Wilde talked about using comedy as a way to get at real ideas without turning the film into something heavy or too serious, and you can feel that in her performance. She knows exactly when to lean into the humor and when to pull back.
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Hoffman ends up being the film’s biggest surprise. On paper, Elliot could easily feel like a stand-in for obsession or a passive character swept along by someone else’s power. But Hoffman doesn’t play him that way. He gives Elliot enough warmth and sincerity that you stay invested, even as his choices get harder to defend. During the Q&A, Wilde mentioned how much the film depended on this character working, even referencing The Graduate as a touchstone. That influence makes sense. Hoffman brings a kind of openness that makes you want to see where he ends up, which is essential to the film holding together.
Charli xcx plays Minerva as a stiff, slightly stuck-up girlfriend, which works on the surface, even if the choice initially feels a little confusing for Elliot’s supposed emotional counterpart. That dynamic makes more sense when you realize that both Minerva and Erika operate from positions of power and self-centeredness, leaving Elliot sidelined and craving more. This made his pull toward Erika feel less random and more inevitable.
Final Credits
After Sundance, I Want Your Sex quickly emerged as one of the festival’s most in-demand titles, ultimately securing a seven-figure U.S. distribution deal with Magnolia Pictures following a competitive bidding process. Magnolia is planning a wide theatrical release later this year, marking the broadest release of Araki’s career to date.
The film was fully financed and produced by Black Bear, the same company behind Tuner (my other Sundance favorite), reinforcing Black Bear’s growing reputation for backing filmmaker-driven projects that don’t sand down their edges for easy consumption. Black Bear also handled international sales, playing a central role in bringing the film to a national release.
Ultimately, I Want Your Sex isn’t a film about sex as spectacle. It’s about obsession, imbalance, and the stories people tell themselves to justify desire. It’s funny, uncomfortable, and surprisingly sincere in the end. And it trusts its audience enough to let all of that coexist.
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