How to Have Sex

We don't get enough films like 'How to Have Sex'. Perhaps because they are hard to promote and sell, but when they are done right they are so good that it shouldn't matter. I love the understated nature and the ultra-realism this film possessed. Everything just hits so much harder because of that.

The film has a terrific sense of dread. For a long time to begin with you are just watching these characters party and have fun. But you always know that something more sinister is just around the corner. You don't know what it is or where it's coming from exactly. You just know it's coming.

Something else I really liked about this one was that it has a lot of respect for its audience. It doesn't tell you everything. It lets you make up your own mind on what exactly a character is thinking/going through. There is some terrific acting that helps this. Often the camera will just remain on a character's face for an extended period of time and watch her go through a range of emotions when dealing with something. It was really interesting to watch.

I think film discussion groups would have a field-day with this film. There's a lot to break down and because nothing it really spelt out it leaves a lot to interpretation. This was a good one. 7/10.

One of the main things I disliked about this film was the title, not because of some misguided belief in the censoring of the word "sex", but because of the conversations that ensued, many times, after telling a friend about the astonishing film I had just seen at the cinema.

Besides that minor inconvenience, the film showcased a phenomenal range of talent in all aspects of the film. Molly Manning Walker shows off her modern and evocative cinematography to truly connect the audience with the characters. Walker also wrote the script which is equally brilliant and manages to capture the essence of youth in each of the characters. Not only that, but she also shows no hesitation in creating a realistic depiction of youth which is extremely difficult to find in films today. Walker has created a film which weaves the innocence of three young adults into a story of loneliness and despair that is strikingly relevant to the world today.

It is obvious that this film is deeply personal to not only Walker but also to the three actresses that played the main parts. A story with such tangible emotion cannot be written without a deeply personal idea at the core. The film will put you in the shoes of three young women and will tell you exactly how women feel today.

The performances of the three young adults was masterful. It was like they weren't even acting. The slow decline of Tara's outward personality to a lonelier and more isolated one is showcased brilliantly by Mia McKenna-Bruce. The comedy that flourished at the start of the film was perfected by the young women's ability to so accurately display the emotions that run through every person's head at that age.

Disturbing and hilarious this film left me in my seat a few minutes after it finished. Unlike any other film I have ever seen it will take you on a journey that you've already had before but always wanted to experience again, the journey of youth, and maybe you'll realize you actually, probably, and in most circumstances, do not want to experience that journey again.

I was curious about this film as many people seemed angry about the trailer that this seemed to be a female inbetweeners kinda film but went extremely dark, I watched it last night and can't help but feel torn on it.

Whilst it felt really natural almost like a documentary on itv2 the characters were slightly on the harder to like side to start but you warm to them especially Tara, who seems genuinely young and immature.

The two incidents of attacks, were believable and natural rather than an aggressive style you'd see in darker films, it was clever to do it that way, to show that there are levels to it.

Whilst I hate how many people volunteer to get into states where they lack control with alcohol it is part of society, but I'm still amazed when smoking gets so much attention, drinking which causes more crime/damage/death gets little attention.

What ruined it from being an important film was the ending, where a quick chat seemed to undo it's impact on her, personally think it should've ended on a sad note as potentially these incidents are life ruining. So think whilst idea was good, it chickened out of following through.

A year of school has finished it's time for fun, so with your two best friends together you all run, to a place close to the sea, a place in Greece where there'll be glee, unaware of an event to make you glum. To begin with you're a vibrant, glowing girl, taking everything that's thrown in a great whirl, dancing, swimming, drink too much, entertainments what you clutch, but it's not too long before nightmares unfurl. As events accelerate and tides get strong, grabbing hold they take you to a place that's wrong, where advantages are taken, disbelief when you awaken, it's with shock you travel home, where you belong.

An outstanding performance from Mia McKenna-Bruce.

This impressively naturalistic and quietly devastating exploration of consent focuses on sixteen-year-old Tara as she takes a trip to Malia with her best friends, the envy-prone Skye and the empathetic Em, to celebrate the completion of her exams - and, perhaps, to distract her from the anxiety surrounding her soon-to-be-released grades - by drinking, clubbing and maybe, just maybe, hooking up with some strangers. The trip holds extra importance for her, as she's the last of her friends to still be a virgin and feels the need to rectify this before she returns back home (largely due to societal pressure pushed by her peers - or, rather, one in particular). Strikingly realistic in its every aspect, the picture plays out like an authentic coming-of-age slice of life and keenly cuts to the core of a feeling all too familiar with so many of us, particularly women. While it does generally have a fly-on-the-wall vibe, it also makes use of distinct cinematic techniques to draw you wholly into its hero's headspace. It's an intimate, often incredibly uncomfortable picture that has a lot to say and isn't afraid to say it. It doesn't so much start a conversation as it does make its point and let you chew on it; the ethics surrounding its central issues are pretty black and white, and they aren't intended to be debated so much as communicated. Indeed, 'How To Have Sex (2023)' actually has an implied 'Not' in the title. Whether it reflects someone's own experience and makes them feel seen or challenges someone's behaviour and (hopefully) makes them be better in the future, the film will likely resonate deeply with everyone in its audience. Its power grows the longer you have to sit with it, and its true brilliance is only really evident in retrospect. It's a powerful picture, for sure, arguably because of - not in spite of - its general subtlety. It's essential viewing for, well, pretty much everyone, really.