How to Have Sex
2023 · Directed by Molly Manning Walker
Original language: English
- drama
The story
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 it’s like
Bright, sun-blasted Mediterranean daylight gives way to sticky, strobing club nights, shot largely handheld and close, so the camera hovers at shoulder height and lets faces, sweat and sunburn fill the frame. The palette runs hot and washed: whites and turquoise pool water, neon pinks and greens after dark, and the dense, pulsing bass of Ibiza-style dance music that makes the sound world feel crowded and inescapable. Long stretches of hotel-room quiet and early-morning hangover light break the noise, with a low hum of unease running underneath. The mood is sun-bleached unease, a bright holiday surface over a growing dread. It suits a late-night watch alone or a considered weekend viewing rather than anything light or easy. Pacing is observational and patient, with the tension building slowly through small social moments. Emotionally it follows a young woman's loss of footing and trust as her summer changes. Intensity: strong. Sexual content is explicit and frequent, with drunkenness and drug use throughout, and a central sexual assault is depicted with discomfort and distress rather than graphic spectacle. Not gentle. For viewers who want a sharp, unsparing coming-of-age drama about friendship, youth and consent.
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