User reviews

I've seen my fair share of comedies, to be honest its one of my favourite genre of film and television. However, when I sat down with my fiancé to watch The Little Death, I didn't quite expect the disturbing hilarity which ensued.

IMDb describes the film as "a truly original comedy about sex, love, relationships and taboo." and I would certainly agree with them. Write and director, Josh Lawson (Anchorman 2), perfectly combines the awkwardness of discussing sex and fetishes with a funny and provocative insight into the lives of these fictional couples.

From foot fetishes to rape fantasies, nothing is off limits here and the unfortunate involvement of a sign language translator in a sex chat call tops it off perfectly and had me dreading the next scene for fear of my sides actually splitting.

In simple terms, The Little Death is a humorous take on some moderately serious views on modern day sex and gives the more vanilla viewer an insight into the lives of people who could easily be our neighbours.

My vote, 8/10. Just watch out for the resident sex offender, Gollywogs can be a frightening distraction....

Marc Tew entertainment.uk.to

This movie really exceeded all my expectations. I was expecting lewd humour and Viagra jokes, what I saw was far from that. The movie is about sexual deviations and fantasies and how it affects relationships, and it looks at that subject with in a lighthearted way, but never over the top.

This movie wouldn't have worked without the excellent writing and directing of Josh Lawson, each time something happens or a character appears, I think to myself "That's what's gonna probably happen", but Lawson surprises me every time I thought that. The stories were well written and how they all come together in the end was brilliant.

This was my first experience with Australian comedy, and I will surely watch more of it in the future after this movie.

"Somnophilia" and "dacryphilia". Who would have thought I can learn new words from a movie. The Little Death is a FB recommendation from my ex-student who had a feeling I would enjoy this little Australian movie.

The following is my FB reply to her...Hey, this is refreshingly good (but not quite awesome) and you are right about the ending. Putting the abrupt ending aside, I thought it is a quirky look-in into sexual fantasies and perversion. The ideas are outstanding but the execution is not quite on the pulse so it didn't push any envelope. I really like some of the stories - the gal who dreams of being raped, the chap who loves seeing his wife sleep, the two deaf persons' communication which is just incredible and their chemistry is so palpable. A very good recommendation and something I don't see often. And if I do see it (for example, Something Like Sex), it usually lacks heart. This one has a lot of heartfelt moments. Thanks Annabelle

Thinking back, I really like a lot of the moments which are quite inspired. It is the in-between moments that I find a little off. It feels like it was just content at poking fun at sexual fetishes more than wanting to say something more. Still, I appreciate the boldness and frankness and some of the LOL moments. I think I want to spice it up with some role-playing. That story segment is so like me

"The Little Death" is a strange film about sexual fantasies...the sorts of fantasies most people in this movie have great difficulty discussing with their partners. If couples saw this film together, perhaps it would be a great way to get them to open up and discuss their darker or stranger desires....so "The Little Death" might be great to share with someone you love. However, I have a few caveats...mostly because the film never is exactly a comedy nor a dark and disturbing picture...it's both. So, for every wonderful and interesting story, there is another that is far more difficult and problematic...and some of them are actually pretty violent and disturbing. I really wish the film had kept a slightly more positive and funny mood...especially at the end, where you have a wonderful segment involving a deaf man and his interpreter....and only moments later, two other people brutally die! The juxtaposition of the funny with the dark is not something I loved. Now having dark fantasies isn't the problem...one lady in the film does have a very common but dark fantasy....it's that the film is funny, tragic and sad all at the same time...an I can imagine that instead of opening up a dialog or leading to a very passionate night, the film might just achieve the opposite because of the strange and ever-changing mood in the movie....too much so to make it a great film but still enjoyable enough that you might enjoy the story overall despite its flaws.

By the way, if you normally use closed captions, you might want to turn them off in the final segment involving the sign language interpreter. This is because the film's open captions and the closed captions added later get transposed and you see words to the song being played and not the interpretation of the conversation in Australian sign language. I mention Australian, because I am reasonably fluent in American sign language but cannot fully comprehend what they are saying and needed these captions...especially since Australian 'dirty' signs (signs for sex) are often not the same as the American ones!

I don't find many comedies actually funny but this one surprised me. It was uniquely funny and dark. Definitely recommended.l for a laugh or two....................

This is the Hollywood's golden fleece, the sex comedy that Hollywood is always trying to make, and reliably always falls flat on its face with. And amazingly, all of a sudden there is this tiny movie that nobody counted on, and it's perfect, and it's from Australia.

It's not even that it's an "alternative" film. The actors have that glossy soap-opera-star quality to them that I hate so much about Hollywood. They live in better apartments than me, they drive better cars then me (or, they drive cars), their engagement rings are way clunkier than anything I could afford. One major difference between this and the standard Hollywood fare is that the whole shindig is never trying to suck up to me by trying to make me feel like I'm part of this world. Most of all, though, the script is simply outstanding. As it should be if someone has to invest a mountain of money to turn it into a movie. Next, the actors know their craft. They're not just better looking people whom someone has put in front of a camera. And that's pretty much all their is to the big mystery why Hollywood apparently can't make a good sex comedy.

PS: This movie entertained me while I was watching it, and kept me thinking afterwards.

The first thing I did after watching the film was check social media - was it just me or did everyone else agree this was a great flick? Happily it wasn't just me, I couldn't find a bad tweet. Yes, it's an awkward topic, and not that I'm a prude but I did have trepidations about going to see a movie about sexual fetishes. But actually, that's what gave it it's humour, along with the incredible performances by not one, but every single cast member. At no time did I wish that we went back to one of the other story lines because each one was engaging in its own right. The film somehow manages to be light hearted and appealing to adults of all ages, while at the same time meandering through sophisticated undertones and delivering a few thought provoking messages. This is not just a fantastic example of Australian talent, it is a brilliant movie.

Josh Lawson's directorial debut The Little Death toys with the idea of fetishes in a way that really tries to tenderly stroke the principles of the fluffy romantic comedies that make things easy to digest. While this may work in terms of getting people to see this film based on optimism that it will pander to the conventions they've seen in the past, the frustrating element is that Lawson can find himself dancing around the fetishes themselves and why we find ourselves having the sexual fantasies we do, or simply struggling to balance a multitude of characters stories and paths cohesively.

Lawson tries to profile a number of fetishes through multiple different couples. The first couple we meet is Paul and Maeve (Josh Lawson and Bojana Novakovic). Paul has a foot fetish, which is a relatively common fetish in the grand scheme, which he believes Maeve too finds quite erotic. However, when Maeve reveals to him that she has a rape fantasy, another fetish that seems to be more common than people would believe, he becomes uneasy. Maeve's desire for intense domination and unpredictable sexual satisfaction becomes the object of Paul's immediate plan of action, going to the ends of the Earth to try and concoct a believable fantasy to please his wife. A terrific scene comes when Paul and one of his friends discuss the inherent flaw with a rape fantasy, saying that once it's anticipated, or even appreciated it, can never be as effective as rape normally is.

Dan and Evie (Damon Herriman and Kate Mulvany) are attempting to reunite their sexual spark, and one of the suggestions by their marriage therapist is engaging in roleplaying. Dan winds up getting invested with his characters, even trying his hand at an acting class, while Evie struggles to maintain composure during their meticulously detailed scenes. Meanwhile, Richard and Rowena (Patrick Brammall and Kate Box) have been attempting to have a baby for quite some time to no avail. We meet the couple in the middle of Richard's solo masturbation, which concludes with Rowena trying to use his deposit as the umpteenth attempt. When Richard's father suddenly dies, however, Rowena discovers that the sight of her husband crying arouses her entirely, which results in numerous attempts by her to make him cry. One of her attempts is dumping their beloved dog off at a friend's house, saying he ran away, sending Richard into a downward spiral of sadness that Rowena cannot contain.

Then there's the souring marriage of Phil and Maureen (Alan Dukes and Lisa McCune). Phil is a pathetic shell of a man, slaving away at an office job and she's a contemptible, nagging bitch in his eyes. Their sex life is nonexistent, with Maureen rejecting all of his advances. Phil resorts to drugging Maureen's tea at night, so she is knocked unconscious, resulting in the best sex of his life. This is a slight combination of nonconsenual sex on the male's behalf and costume play, for Phil likes to doll her up before sex.

Yet, probably the cutest relationship of all is between Monica and Sam (Erin James and T.J. Power). Monica is a communication operator, communicating through videochat to callers that are deaf through the use of sign language. Her skills are put to the test when one of her callers requests the needs of a phone sex operator, who will, in turn, speak to Monica while she signs to Sam, who will sign his requests of the woman through Monica. The result winds up being as convoluted but as uproariously funny as The Little Death gets, with sweet and simple Monica caught reciting some of the dirtiest phrases she has ever uttered in her life, all while enjoying the company of a good-natured human who just wants to feel some companionship in the midst of loneliness and isolation.

Fetishes are the kind of thing we, as people, need to have a conversation about. Since Paul Mazursky's hilarious comedy Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice, a late sixties byproduct of New Hollywood tendencies and being open ended about sexuality and sexual experimentation, sex has become more and more of a popular inclusion in American films, and while there will always be the raunchy comedy that is there to poke fun at the perils and the goofiness of intercourse, there will always be the filmmakers who search to find some sort of emotion or deep-rooted aspect of heart and soul within the repeated thrustings and eventual climax.

Lawson could very well be one of those souls, but as occasionally interesting and sporadically funny as The Little Death (a title referring to an orgasm) is, it's ultimately too scattershot to recommend. Like many anthology films that revolve around assorted characters with a barrage of different problems, it suffers from introducing lofty concepts, in this case, fetishes, and characters with the potential to be rich and developed, but doesn't wind up doing much with them other than placing them within the confines of sitcom clichés. The fun had here is mostly in a juvenile sense when it should be in a contemplative, revealing sense.

Starring: Josh Lawson, Bojana Novakovic, Damon Herriman, Kate Mulvany, Patrick Brammall, Kate Box, Alan Dukes, Lisa McCune, Erin James, and T.J. Power. Directed by: Josh Lawson.

Finally...

With The Little Death I feel like we've finally turned a corner with Australian films - especially comedies. Writer/Director Josh Lawson has put together a brilliantly funny, original film that needs to be seen.

The Little Death examines several suburban Austalian couples' and how their sex lives and fantasies affect their relationships. As Josh's character Paul mentions in a scene, "Whatever happened to good old, run of the mill sex? People have to complicate it with all this kinky stuff".

Each couple have a fascinating, hilarious, heart-warming story that never seems over the top. This movie is laugh-out-loud hilarious, and I can't remember the last time we got that in an Australian comedy. Do yourself a favour - do not miss this movie!!!

And the ones I like are very rare. It depends on the way the plot, the actors succeed in triggering my laughs.

And this movie, well it succeeded so well, I got tears in my eyes. When you watched the movie, you'll understand...

Characters are well drawn and quite plausible in their way of reacting. Very different too.

Acting in a comedy is crucial, I hate it when actors tell me by their behavior or mimic "laugh now", in this movie, they don't tell you to, most funny scenes just emerge out of a fine crescendo in directing. Great to watch again and again to detect the subtleties.

This is absolutely contrary to what you would expect from a sex comedy. Intelligent and sensitive. Don't miss it.

The ideas behind The Little Death aren't bad. Paying one of the few compliments it will get from me, those ideas remind me of the work of Pedro Almodovar. As far as casting goes, Josh Lawson has brought together some accomplished and capable talent from the Australian entertainment industry. There's no weak link within their performances, so where does this film become groan inducing, rather than laugh inducing? Why is it uncomfortable to watch when it could be enlightening?

The answer is in its execution. It fails to resonate at an interesting or believable level. The script has all the components to be entertaining, but the treatment lacks simple, raw regard for the truth of the subject matter. The character types are identifiable, quirky, but despite some impassioned, truthful performances, it is types the actors end up playing, not people.

This speaks to Josh Lawson's inexperience as a director. You can't shake an audience's sensibilities, nor get them to laugh, by being clever. Lawson has taken a safe route when he needed to take risks. The result is that any genuine edginess from the characters and storyline is homogenized. Extreme moments that should be funny become dismaying. Stock pieces fall flat.

The Little Death isn't the worst Australian film I've seen, but it does share the worst trait. It manages to snatch mediocrity from the jaws of success.

It's Christmas and the holidays are upon us - nothing on the box so I searched top 30 comedies of 2015 and this little gem appeared on the first list.

It's difficult to critique without spoiling it suffice it to say the mundanities of relationships that turn a little stale or present themselves with obstacles to overcome is a well travelled path BUT this film treats that scenario with a clever, entertaining, moving mix of highs, lows and obscenely funny situations. All punctuated with the most ridiculously dark and amusing interjections of a registered sex offender - you gasp once, twice three times before the horror of the implications of this confession are ignored whilst you've been seduced into laughing it off!

Such a clever and twisted film - brilliantly Australian in it's humour and location. The crafting of scenes and narrative payoffs are deliciously executed. The soundtrack and use of music is powerful and enhances the experience and adds a pathos to the proceedings - in particular the fabulous use of music from Sleeping at Last and their Atlas : Light album.

I've already recommended this to my friends during the credit roll - watch it - it's frighteningly real but totally entertaining and thought provoking.

Australian actor Josh Lawson's debut feature as a director is an intriguing and hilarious adult comedy about sexual fetishes. The movie is not just informative and funny, it's path-breaking in a way. The way Mr Lawson handles the subject is quite nuanced and tactful. Everyone tends to have some fetish or the other, which is usually borne out of childhood experiences, growing up habits, or other environmental factors. But even in our present age, we have certain taboos attached to each of them and tend to judge others even if we have one of our own. His observations on the five couples, the way one of them chooses to reveal their fetish to the other partner and how it's received by the other; it gives us so much insight into the characters and their lives.

The way the story is told, you not only get to know the different fetishes and the terms for it, you get to know and understand many of the characters in the movie's short run-time. The actors and the situations seem so honest that you almost feel guilty thinking you're getting a sneak peek into the intimate moments of these couples' lives.

The movie is equal amounts of hilarious and observational. It doesn't look down upon its characters; it just shows how the various ways of tackling or revealing one's fetish may have different repercussions. The phone-relay sex chat couple's story may seem the most cheesiest one, but it definitely had the most hysterical scene, and their chemistry was quite fascinating. A little more insight into the fetishes and characters could have helped; I would certainly watch a second part if they ever make one. The ending might annoy some, but I was okay with it; the story made a full circle.

And one more thing: Skip the movie if you're looking for nude sex scenes and want to be aroused. The movie is meant to be amusing, educative and insightful, not arousing.

It is a very internal movie.not very commercial.several stories about the love issues people have,do not watch with your lover.it evokes something,not very strong,not very profound,but enough to make you think about something.

This is my first review and I am writing this because I want to assure you guys this is one the best original comedies you will ever come across.

It doesn't have a great story or a ground breaking story telling and is not a typical romantic comedy or drama or a classic (if you are looking for one). It is just a drama-comedy-romantic( yeah bit of everything ) movie about sexual fantasies and relationship which was beautifully crafted (no obscene references/jokes and nudity). All the segments/narratives are unique, funny and are close to original stories.The best part was the last segment, which was really romantic and I am sure everyone will love it.

The movie is for everyone , so if you are looking a novel comedy (not extreme ), you are going to enjoy this movie for sure. DON'T MISS IT.

Funny film, like Everything You Wanted To Know About Sex But Were Afraid To Ask and Happiness.

This is a really clever film. In that it covers several couples' stories you could maybe say it's like a thinking person's Valentine's Day or Love Actually. But the writing and acting are far superior.

The couples are all real, cringingly-so in some cases. There are some hilarious moments (especially the sign language translation call) and some scary, sad and ironic parts too.

Some of the characters are more likable than others. There is some political incorrectness and a small amount of nudity.

Definitely recommend this for a break from Hollywood action thrillers or sickly sweet rom coms.

I came across this film and when I heard its name and saw its cover, I couldn't help but to be curious about it. The movie is split in several stories. Each one depicts the sexual lives of neighboring couples who seem to have unfulfilled fantasies. Everything is told with a humorous tone that makes the movie quite enjoyable. Sometimes I even found myself laughing out loud (Something I had not done for quite some time when watching a movie). There were also some moments of boredom, but I guess it's due to the fact that I felt more connected to certain stories than others… In any case, for a movie that I was totally unaware of, I can gladly say that I did not make a mistake when choosing it to spend my Saturday night in. I don't highly recommend it, but I am confident that most people will be pleased with it.

I don't know where to begin, this movie was unexpected. It was a multi layered tale, somewhat all characters were connected, but all the story centers around the same theme and that is sexual fantasies. What happens when mismatch in desire get together for life. Counselling is the part of recovery nowadays, but everything lies in the effort that put on the practical side. So this movie takes such a wonderful journey with one less than half a dozen of pairs rides towards seeking solutions and answers for their wish. But the thing is, like the most of the movie's punchline say 'how far would you go for it?' is the movie that reveals to us.

It was a brilliantly written for the screen and so the actors, who did their parts impeccably. The narration was so distinct in each tale and also had very good twists before the wrap up. It was a better movie than most of the sex comedies that we got fooled for its promotions. I won't surprise if Hollywood or other film industry remake it. Why do we need to read 'Kama Sutra' while this movie is out there. Definitely there won't be a better movie for adults to enjoy whole heartily, especially not recently as I'm aware. Finally, without minors around, but for ourself to have a great time. Don't think it is a build-up because it delivers a good entertainment with lots of 'laugh out lauds'.

''Also, I'm required by federal law to inform you that I am a convicted sex offender.''

Honest, brave, funny, lust, awkward, the story adds up in a variety of things except there is no true spice like really spicy. Because its want to tickle you than taking up everything seriously. That's why the movie clicked very well, even though the story leaps were very tight because of the many layers to cover. All the five tales ends in (around) three random displays of the acts. The first one for the intro, then where the problem arises and ends with the solutions and twists.

I would love to have part 2, not the follow up because I want new sex related words from its dictionary with freshened pairs. The 'phone sex' part was everyone's favourite. Its the talk of the movie related blog, reviews, database, IRC and apps, and I as well loved it. That does not mean other characters and stories are weaker than this one. The 'rape', 'role play' and others are all so good too. Different viewers enjoy different type, that is according to close to their sex fantasies from one of these, I believe. So are you ready for 'the little death'?.

I'm reminded of the immortal words from Diff'rent Strokes: 'Now the world don't move to the beat of just one drum, what might be right for you, may not be right for some'.

A tale of various suburbanites and their sex lives coalesce into a hilarious comedy that was not only interesting, but very funny. From a woman with a rape fantasy, to a husband drugging his wife in order to be close to her again, to a woman who gets off on her husband's tears, each "bizarre" sexual fantasy is shown so nonchalantly. The tone of the movie isn't to show these people as deviant, but as everyday people trying to live their lives with different sexual appetites. And therein lies the comedy. Taking what on paper reads as deviant, but showing it in a way that appears normal. At least normal to the person with the fetish.

These characters don't try to fix or adjust there fantasy for the sake of their relationship, they accept themselves wholeheartedly. They're so consumed by their sexual fantasies and problems that they're even oblivious to a sex offender handing out sweets and saying he's moved into the neighborhood. We never find out what he ever did or go into his character with any depth. But that doesn't matter. He's only there to show how all encompassing there sexual compulsions are, who cares let alone has time to worry about the sex offender who's moved in next door.

Open a bottle of wine and watch this film for a date night. It's funny, sometimes sad, and left me with a smile on my face. Enjoy!