How to Have Sex (2023)
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Three teenage friends navigate the complexities of sex and self-discovery during a holiday on a Greek island.
The story
Sixteen-year-old best friends Tara, Em, and Skye travel to a party resort in Malia on the Greek island of Crete for a 'rites-of-passage' holiday. As they prepare for a summer of drinking and clubbing, the group faces the pressures of growing up. Tara, the only virgin among the three, feels significant pressure to lose her virginity while her friends navigate their own desires and uncertainties about their futures. The girls encounter a group of locals and other travelers, leading to a series of encounters that force them to confront their expectations of sex, friendship, and personal boundaries in a high-pressure environment.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
During a holiday in Crete, Tara, Em, and Skye encounter a group including Badger and Paddy. While Skye is attracted to Badger, she encourages Tara to hook up with Paddy. Tara becomes disillusioned by Badger's behavior at a club and later reluctantly agrees to sex with Paddy on a beach. After a night of being groggy and disillusioned, Tara hides the details of her experience from Skye. She later learns she failed her exams. Badger, who knows of her virginity, shows her kindness, while Paddy treats her poorly. On the final day, Paddy attempts to initiate sex with Tara while she is asleep; he is interrupted by Skye and Badger. At the airport, Skye pressures Tara for details, which Tara evades. Finally, Tara confides in Em that Paddy had sex with her while she was asleep, leading Em to tell her that the situation was not 'fine'.
- First release year
- 2023
- Runtime (minutes)
- 91
- Production countries
- United Kingdom
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Molly Manning Walker
- Writers
- Molly Manning Walker · writer
- Cast and characters
- Mia McKenna-Bruce · Tara; Lara Peake · Skye; Samuel Bottomley · Paddy; Shaun Thomas · Badger; Enva Lewis · Em; Laura Ambler · Paige
- Genres
- coming-of-age drama
- Themes
- sexual education; consent; coming-of-age; friendship
- Tone and mood
- skittish; spirited; funny; troubling; bruisingly sad
- Premise and plot tags
- coming-of-age; drama; sexual education; consent; holiday; virginity
- Reception
- The film received generally favorable reviews, with praise for the lead performance and the director's handling of the film's complex tonal range.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 79 · scale: 100 · review count: 37
- Production trivia
- The film is described by its director as loosely autobiographical.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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