How to Have Sex
The 2023 film "How to Have Sex" plunges viewers into the tumultuous world of three teenage friends on a rites-of-passage holiday, exploring themes of sexual pressure, self-discovery, and the complex landscape of consent. It's a raw and unvarnished look at contemporary female adolescence, earning critical acclaim for its honest portrayal. This story asks us to confront difficult truths about youth culture and the hidden challenges many young women face. The film offers a stark, realistic portrayal of female adolescence, friendship, and the often-unspoken pressures surrounding sex. It meticulously navigates the nuances of consent, highlighting how easily boundaries can be blurred or ignored in social settings. "How to Have Sex" received significant critical praise and major awards, affirming its powerful message and the exceptional performances of its cast.
AI Summary
The 2023 film "How to Have Sex" plunges viewers into the tumultuous world of three teenage friends on a rites-of-passage holiday, exploring themes of sexual pressure, self-discovery, and the complex landscape of consent. It's a raw and unvarnished look at contemporary female adolescence, earning critical acclaim for its honest portrayal. This story asks us to confront difficult truths about youth culture and the hidden challenges many young women face.
- The film offers a stark, realistic portrayal of female adolescence, friendship, and the often-unspoken pressures surrounding sex.
- It meticulously navigates the nuances of consent, highlighting how easily boundaries can be blurred or ignored in social settings.
- "How to Have Sex" received significant critical praise and major awards, affirming its powerful message and the exceptional performances of its cast.
A Summer of Expectations
Directed by Molly Manning Walker in her debut, "How to Have Sex" is a powerful coming-of-age drama released in 2023. It stars Mia McKenna-Bruce, Lara Peake, and Enva Lewis as three sixteen-year-old best friends grappling with new experiences, social pressures, and the thorny path of self-discovery during a holiday abroad.
This unflinching film captivated audiences and critics alike, premiering at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival in May 2023. There, it triumphed in the Un Certain Regard section, taking home the top prize—a significant achievement for a debut feature. It later arrived in UK cinemas in November 2023, followed by a US release in February 2024.
Malia: A Rites-of-Passage Holiday
The story opens with best friends Tara, Em, and Skye jetting off to the vibrant party resort of Malia on the Greek island of Crete. This holiday isn't just a getaway; it's a pivotal moment, a 'rites-of-passage' as they stand on the cusp of adulthood. While Em is set for college, Tara and Skye face uncertain futures, hoping this summer will be unforgettable.
Their shared goal is a summer of classic holiday fun: drinking, clubbing, and hooking up. However, for Tara, the only virgin in the trio, this creates a unique pressure. She feels an unspoken expectation to match her friends' experiences, navigating a world where sexual prowess often feels intertwined with belonging.
First Encounters and Shifting Dynamics
Soon after arriving, Tara catches the eye of a neighboring guest, Badger, initiating a playful flirtation. He and his friend, Paddy, invite Tara and her friends to party. Skye, secretly attracted to Badger herself, playfully—yet somewhat cruelly—teases Tara about her inexperience, even encouraging her to lose her virginity to Paddy.
Tara finds herself drawn to Badger, but a public club game involving him leaves her disheartened. Later, she runs into Paddy on the beach, who pressures her for sex. Feeling overwhelmed and reluctant, Tara ultimately gives in, setting a somber tone for the rest of her trip.
The Weight of the Morning After
The next morning, Tara is missing, causing concern among her friends. She eventually reappears, groggy and visibly disillusioned by her encounter with Paddy. She confides only in Em, initially trying to avoid telling Skye, revealing the profound emotional impact of the experience.
Adding to her distress, Tara learns she failed her exams, further clouding her future. Paddy's distant and disrespectful behavior compounds her discomfort, making her feel even more isolated. It's Badger, however, who notices her withdrawal and offers quiet support, taking her back to the hotel when she declines to join the group skinny-dipping.
A Devastating Realization
On their final morning, Tara tries to sleep, but Paddy enters the room, making unwanted romantic advances. Badger witnesses this, visibly heartbroken. Alone, Paddy attempts to initiate sex again, which Tara rebuffs, clearly uncomfortable with his presence and intentions.
Shortly after, Tara awakens to Paddy on top of her, initiating intercourse despite her clear discomfort. The moment is abruptly interrupted by Skye and Badger entering the room, seeking sleep. Skye's teasing remark about Tara 'sleeping with Paddy again' pushes Tara to silently leave the bed, tears streaming down her face—a moment of profound, wordless agony.
As the friends prepare to leave the hotel, Tara manages to avoid Paddy but shares a meaningful hug with Badger. At the airport, Skye persistently questions Tara about her time with Paddy, but Tara skillfully deflects. It's in a private moment with Em that the truth finally surfaces.
With a heartbreaking admission, Tara tells Em that Paddy raped her while she was asleep. Em's initial reaction of 'you should have said something' quickly gives way to unwavering support. She reassures Tara that what happened was not 'fine,' promising they will face this challenge together, delivering the film's poignant closing line: 'We got this.'
Key Performances
Mia McKenna-Bruce as Tara Lara Peake as Skye Samuel Bottomley as Paddy Shaun Thomas as Badger Enva Lewis as Em Laura Ambler as Paige
Behind the Camera
The film was written and directed by Molly Manning Walker, marking her impressive directorial debut. Principal photography took place on location in Malia, Crete. While some reports indicated filming in October 2022, other sources suggest a two-month shoot from September 2021, showcasing the dedication behind capturing the film's authentic atmosphere.
Festival Circuit & Distribution
As previously mentioned, "How to Have Sex" debuted to significant acclaim at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2023, where it won the top prize in the Un Certain Regard section. Its powerful narrative quickly caught the attention of distributors.
Ahead of its premiere, Mubi secured distribution rights for numerous territories, including North America, the UK, and Latin America. The film also made appearances at other prestigious events, like the Busan International Film Festival in October 2023, further cementing its international presence.
Critical Acclaim
Critics widely praised "How to Have Sex" for its raw honesty and powerful storytelling. On Rotten Tomatoes, it holds an impressive 97% positive rating, with an average score of 8/10. Metacritic, using a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 79 out of 100, indicating 'generally favorable reviews.'
Reviewers singled out Molly Manning Walker's direction and Mia McKenna-Bruce's 'star-making' performance for particular praise. Wendy Ide of The Observer commended Walker's remarkable ability to blend the film's 'skittish, spirited and very funny' moments with its 'troubling and bruisingly sad' undertones, a testament to her assured handling of the sensitive subject matter.
Critics also highlighted the film's relevance in a post-#MeToo era, describing it as a precise exploration of sexual education and consent. Clarisse Loughrey of The Independent likened its incisive commentary on sex culture to how F. Scott Fitzgerald captured the Jazz Age in "The Great Gatsby," underscoring its profound cultural significance.
Awards and Recognition
Beyond its Cannes triumph, "How to Have Sex" garnered a host of other accolades. Mia McKenna-Bruce won Best Lead Performance at the British Independent Film Awards (BIFA) and Breakthrough Performer of the Year at the London Film Critics' Circle. Molly Manning Walker also received the European Discovery award at the European Film Awards, solidifying the film's critical success and impact.
Article
How to Have Sex
How to Have Sex is a 2023 coming-of-age drama film written and directed by Molly Manning Walker, in her directorial debut. The film stars Mia McKenna-Bruce, Lara Peake and Enva Lewis as three sixteen-year-old best friends who encounter new friendships, sexual pressures and self-discovery during a holiday. The cast also includes Samuel Bottomley, Shaun Thomas and Laura Ambler.
How to Have Sex had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in the Un Certain Regard section on 19 May 2023, ultimately winning that section's top prize. The film was released theatrically by Mubi in the United Kingdom on 3 November 2023, and in the United States on 2 February 2024.
Plot
How to Have Sex
Sixteen-year-old best friends Tara, Em, and Skye head to the party resort of Malia on the Greek island of Crete for a rites-of-passage holiday. While Em will be off to college in the autumn, Tara and Skye are less certain of their futures. The girls all look forward to drinking, clubbing, and hooking up in what should be the best summer of their lives. Tara, the only virgin in the trio, feels pressure to match the sexual experiences of her friends.
While on her hotel room balcony, a neighbouring guest, Badger, flirts with Tara, who reciprocates his advances. He and one of his roommates, Paddy, invite Tara and her group to spend the night partying with his friends. Skye, who is secretly attracted to Badger, openly teases Tara about her lack of experience despite Tara's embarrassment, and encourages her to lose her virginity to Paddy, while Em intends to hook up with Badger's lesbian friend, Paige.
Tara grows closer to Badger, but is disheartened when she witnesses him volunteer to go onstage at an outdoor club, in which he inadvertently commits to getting an erection by having multiple strangers perform oral sex on him as part of a game, and she leaves. She runs into Paddy, and he takes her to the beach and pressures her for sex, which she reluctantly agrees to.
The next morning, Em and Badger become concerned when Tara is missing, having not returned to the hotel. However, Tara reappears, and reveals that she spent the night disillusioned and groggy after sex with Paddy and partied with kind strangers who let her spend the night at their villa. Tara seems embarrassed at her sexual experience and only privately reveals it to Em, and attempts to avoid admitting it to Skye. Tara also learns that she failed her exams and will have to retake them, further upsetting her. Paddy treats Tara poorly and distantly around their friends, but Badger, who learned of Tara's virginity through Skye (who confided in him in an attempt to humiliate Tara), takes care of her when she grows distant from the group and declines their invitation to skinny-dip at the beach. He takes her back to the hotel, and when she falls asleep, he puts her to bed and departs.
In the morning, the final day of the trip, Tara attempts to sleep in, but Paddy enters the room and makes romantic overtures, which Badger witnesses and is heartbroken by. When they are alone, Paddy tries to initiate sex with Tara again, but is rebuffed. Shortly afterward, Tara is awoken to Paddy on top of her, initiating intercourse despite her visible discomfort. He is soon interrupted by Skye and Badger entering the room and groggily settling in between the two on the bed to sleep. Skye quietly teases Tara about apparently sleeping with Paddy again, prompting Tara to silently leave the bed in tears.
In the afternoon, the friends depart the hotel, sharing goodbyes with the other group and discussing plans to meet up in the future. Tara hugs Badger goodbye, avoiding interacting with Paddy. At the airport, Skye again presses Tara for details of her encounters with Paddy, which Tara attempts to evade. When alone with Em, Tara privately admits that Paddy raped her by having sex with her while she was asleep. Em initially asserts that Tara should have said something during the trip, but then assures Tara that what happened was not "fine".
On their way to board the plane back home to England, Em promises Tara that together they will overcome their troubles, telling her "we got this".
Cast
How to Have Sex
• Mia McKenna-Bruce as Tara • Lara Peake as Skye • Samuel Bottomley as Paddy • Shaun Thomas as Badger • Enva Lewis as Em • Laura Ambler as Paige • Eilidh Loan as Fi • Daisy Jelley as Gemma
Production
How to Have Sex
Mia McKenna-Bruce, Lara Peake, Shaun Thomas, Samuel Bottomley, Enva Lewis and Laura Ambler joined the cast of the film, with Molly Manning Walker directing from a screenplay she wrote, and shooting in Greece in October 2022, according to Deadline Hollywood, while according to The Guardian, the film was shot on location in Malia, Crete, over two months from September 2021.
Release
How to Have Sex
How to Have Sex had its world premiere in the Un Certain Regard section of the Cannes Film Festival on 19 May 2023. The film ultimately won that section's top prize.
Prior to its debut, Mubi acquired distribution rights to the film for North America, United Kingdom, Ireland, Italy, Latin America, Turkey and Benelux. It was also invited screened in the Flash Forward section of the 28th Busan International Film Festival on 7 October 2023.
The film was released theatrically in the United Kingdom on 3 November 2023, and in the United States on 2 February 2024.
Reception
Critical response
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 97% of 143 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 8/10. The website's consensus reads: "A powerful debut for Molly Manning Walker, How to Have Sex authentically captures female adolescence and friendship with sobering effervescence." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 79 out of 100, based on 37 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.
Manning Walker's direction and McKenna-Bruce's performance received praise. The Observer's Wendy Ide wrote, "Walker's handling of the film's tonal range is remarkably assured: the picture is skittish, spirited and very funny, and at the same time troubling and bruisingly sad."
Guy Lodge of Variety described McKenna-Bruce's performance as "star-making", adding the film "lays out the minefield of sexual education and consent for a post-#MeToo generation, with a precision to its ambiguities that will draw gasps from its characters' contemporaries and elders alike".
Clarisse Loughrey of The Independent commented, "Described by its director as loosely autobiographical, How to Have Sex is built around a subtle but devastating rug-pull that exposes the culture of sex and consent in the same way F Scott Fitzgerald put the Jazz Age on blast in The Great Gatsby."
Accolades
<table><thead><tr><th>Award / Film Festival</th><th>Date of ceremony</th><th>Category</th><th>Recipient(s)</th><th>Result</th><th>Ref.</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Cannes Film Festival</td><td>27 May 2023</td><td>Un Certain Regard</td><td>Molly Manning Walker</td><td>Won</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Queer Palm</td><td>Nominated</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Caméra d'Or</td><td>Nominated</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Jerusalem Film Festival</td><td>23 July 2023</td><td>The Nechama Rivilin Award for Best International Film</td><td>How to Have Sex</td><td>Nominated</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Melbourne International Film Festival</td><td>19 August 2023</td><td>Bright Horizons Award</td><td>Nominated</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Zurich Film Festival</td><td>8 October 2023</td><td>Best International Feature Film</td><td>Nominated</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Athens International Film Festival</td><td>9 October 2023</td><td>Best Picture</td><td>Won</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Valladolid International Film Festival</td><td>28 October 2023</td><td>Golden Spike</td><td>Nominated</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Young Jury Prize Official Section</td><td>Won</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Best New Director</td><td>Molly Manning Walker</td><td>Won</td></tr><tr><td>British Independent Film Awards</td><td>3 December 2023</td><td>Best Casting</td><td>Isabella Odoffin</td><td>Won</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Best Costume Design</td><td>George Buxton</td><td>Nominated</td></tr><tr><td>Best Make-Up & Hair Design</td><td>Natasha Lawes</td><td>Nominated</td></tr><tr><td>Best Sound</td><td>Steve Fanagan</td><td>Nominated</td></tr><tr><td>Best British Independent Film</td><td>Molly Manning Walker, Ivana MacKinnon, Emily Leo, and Konstantinos Kontovrakis</td><td>Nominated</td></tr><tr><td>Best Director</td><td>Molly Manning Walker</td><td>Nominated</td></tr><tr><td>Best Lead Performance</td><td>Mia McKenna-Bruce</td><td>Won</td></tr><tr><td>Breakthrough Performance</td><td>Nominated</td></tr><tr><td>Best Supporting Performance</td><td>Samuel Bottomley</td><td>Nominated</td></tr><tr><td>Shaun Thomas</td><td>Won</td></tr><tr><td>Douglas Hickox Award (Best Debut Director)</td><td>Molly Manning Walker</td><td>Nominated</td></tr><tr><td>Best Debut Screenwriter</td><td>Nominated</td></tr><tr><td>Best Screenplay</td><td>Nominated</td></tr><tr><td>European Film Awards</td><td>9 December 2023</td><td>Best Actress</td><td>Mia McKenna-Bruce</td><td>Nominated</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>European Discovery</td><td>Molly Manning Walker</td><td>Won</td></tr><tr><td>University Film Award</td><td>How to Have Sex</td><td>Nominated</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>London Film Critics' Circle</td><td>4 February 2024</td><td>Breakthrough Performer of the Year</td><td>Mia McKenna-Bruce</td><td>Won</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>British Academy Film Awards</td><td>18 February 2024</td><td>Outstanding British Film</td><td>Molly Manning Walker, Emily Leo, Ivana MacKinnon and Konstantinos Kontovrakis</td><td>Nominated</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer</td><td>Molly Manning Walker</td><td>Nominated</td></tr><tr><td>Best Casting</td><td>Isabella Odoffin</td><td>Nominated</td></tr></tbody></table>