HOW TO HAVE SEX reviewed by GREG KING
Director: Molly Manning-Walker
Stars: Mia McKenna-Bruce, Lara Peake, Enva Lewis, Shaun Thomas, Samuel Bottomley, Laura Ambler.
What a salacious eye-catching title!
But rather than a documentary this is another in the cycle of coming-of-age films featuring a group of horny teenagers on a sex and alcohol fuelled holiday in a sun-drenched exotic location. It follows in the footsteps of such films as Harmony Korine’s controversial 2012 film Spring Breakers, and it even shares some surface similarities with films such as the Australian classic Puberty Blues and last year’s Aftersun. But it also works as something of a cautionary tale because of its disturbing and uncomfortable content.
Having just finished high school three teenaged girls head off to party at a resort hotel on the Greek island of Malia. The naive and virginal Tara (Mia McKenna-Bruce, from the tv series Vampire Academy, etc) and her two best friends Skye (Lara Peake, from How To Talk To Girls At Parties, etc) and Emily (Enva Lewis in her film debut) stay at a hotel that seems to cater for these types of holidays. Pool parties are organised, and alcohol and drugs seem to be in plentiful supply.
In the hotel adjoining their hotel are a couple of British lads. Tara is initially drawn to the sweet natured but clueless Badger (Shaun Thomas), but is disgusted by his antics at a raunchy sex game and thinks his best friend, the brash and more confident Paddy (Samuel Bottomley), may be a better companion. Emily meanwhile hooks up with their best friend Paige (Laura Ambler).
Paddy takes advantage of Tara’s inexperience, and before long her idyllic holiday turns into a traumatic ordeal. Tara becomes withdrawn and anxious after a late night encounter with Paddy, and only Emily seems to realise what has happened to her. From an upbeat opening as the three girls embrace the spirit of their holiday break the film becomes bleaker and darker in tone.
How To Have Sex marks the directorial debut of Molly Manning-Walker who has extensive experience as a cinematographer, having worked on films like the recent Scrapper. She knows how to use the camera to good effect to give the audience insight into the emotions and inner turmoil of her characters. According to her the title alludes to those societal pressures placed on adolescents regarding sex, either from parents, peers or best friends, and also addresses some of those misconceptions about a person’s first sexual experience. The script captures female adolescence with authenticity and the film loosely draws upon her own experiences. Manning-Walker gives the material a surface feel of realism and an almost documentary-like quality as she doesn’t try to hide the darker nature of these sex fuelled hedonistic adolescent getaways. But she also deliberately builds levels of ambiguity into the material.
Cinematographer Nicola Canniccioni creates a raucous energy and captures the sleazy environment with its sweaty party scenes superbly shot in a neon drenched palette. Scenes of the deserted streets in the daytime have an eerie otherworldly feel and provide a vivid contrast. The pulsating soundtrack of EDM music playing in the nightclubs enhances the mood.
The performances of the cast are natural, enthusiastic and energetic, especially McKenna–Bruce who has a naiveite that suits Tara, who is keen to lose her virginity on this holiday. She has an expressive face that registers both her early innocence and excitement to her later confusion and humiliation. Both Thomas and Bottomley appeared together in the tv series Ladhood, a coming-of-age drama set against the backdrop of a British high school and exploring the origins of toxic masculinity.
How To Have Sex has been winning awards and praise at a number of festivals, which speaks to the dramatic heft of its narrative. But at its core this is also a cautionary tale that should probably be watched by adolescents and their parents. And it sure to spark plenty of conversations.
★★★
