Molly Manning-Walker’s educational, eye-opening debut feature, How to Have Sex, initially has a partial air of the now-canceled BBC Three show Sun, Sex, and Suspicious Parents. That series was a small, albeit noteworthy snippet of British television history, whereby a group of fun-loving, party-going, of-age adolescents descend on a Mediterranean party island blissfully oblivious to the fact their every move is being closely followed by their overbearing and invariably dumbfounded parents, appalled by their drunken indignity and debauchery. While How to Have Sex is devoid of privacy-invading guardians, the very British coming-of-age tradition of “lads” and “girls” holidays collides head-on with Manning-Walker’s understated and subtle lesson in consent.
Kicking-off in Malia on the Greek island of Crete, we’re introduced to our primary protagonist, Tara (played exceptionally by Mia McKenna-Bruce) along with her two BFFs, Em (Enva Lewis), and Skye (Lara Peake), venturing out on their first girls holiday. For those unacquainted with the neon-infused fluorescence of the Malia strip, it’s essentially just a deprived Boulevard that deals in alcoholism, partying, and inebriated young adults. The animated trio, with their complementary amalgam of personalities, relish this rare slice of freedom as they dive head first into this Mediterranean world of over-indulgence, and more pertinently, helping Tara to lose her virginity.
This depiction of an unofficial rite of passage into adulthood dovetails into other groups embarking on the same expedition of self-discovery. In particular, they come across a trio of Northerners spearheaded by a peroxide blonde lad nicknamed “Badger” (Shaun Thomas), as well as fellow pals Paddy (Samuel Bottomley) and Paige (Laura Ambler), who find themselves staying next door to the group of girls at their trashy hotel complex. As is so commonly the case among groups of like-minded young holidayers, the two groups of three become a six, and together they form an emotional and physical connection that will last a lifetime. That is, if those memories aren’t too blurred by the intoxicating effects of alcohol and the confusing and disturbing feelings around non-consensual sex.
Molly Manning-Walker and Mia McKenzie Bruce Announce Themselves as Stars of Tomorrow
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Molly Manning-Walker, who not only directed but wrote this compelling screenplay, captures the incandescence of these mass parties through 16-year-old Tara’s disorderly teen lens, befuddled by a cocktail of hormones, peer pressure, and future uncertainty following the discovery of her GCSE exam results. The film does a truly flawless job at encapsulating the very essence of Tara’s frame of mind, not through spoken word, but the way Mia McKenna-Bruce translates her character’s discomfort into deep, expressive, and often heartbreaking facial expressions in a truly career-launching way, fitting the character perfectly.
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From an initially fun-loving, outgoing, and communicatively vivacious persona to an isolated, non-verbal shell, scarred by the events of the vacation, McKenna-Bruce’s presentation of this wonderfully likable protagonist is delivered with real emotional resonance. How to Have Sex offers a deeply visceral, almost introspective experience, where Tara withdraws from the chaotic environment she’s in, internally alone, and haunted by the stripping of her innocence and youthful naivety.
The Power and Poignancy of the Subject
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When Tara does finally address the matter of her virginity, it is by no means the fairytale it was cracked up to be. The two sexual encounters she has are shrouded in ambiguity around consent, and the gray areas surrounding instances of rape. Manning-Walker delves into this sensitive theme with an empathy that doesn’t detract from the sobering ordeals Tara experiences on-screen.
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How to Have Sex is a thoroughly accurate representation of the experiences of many women (and men) who are confused by the very nature of what does and doesn’t equate to consent, and the subsequent distressing realization that they have been raped. This is a chilling and affecting drama that serves as a poignant lesson to men that rape isn’t always just when a woman says “no,” but the implicit nature of actions, mannerisms, and gestures that are more than a clear indication of a woman’s position.
In the wake of a sexual assault crisis in Hollywood, How to Have Sex is a timely, subtle, and exquisitely executed reminder of the power film has to shape, educate, and inform our world view. During a period when, in the United States alone last year, there were 133,294 reported cases of sexual assault and rape, there is no better time for a film such as this to premiere, and everyone, especially young adults, should see it.
How to Have Sex is currently screening in theaters across the United Kingdom and set for release on Mubi in North America in the coming months. Watch this space for future information.
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