There is something to offend everybody in this film from Writer/Director Gregg Araki, through erotically intense scenes and unflinching performances by Olivia Wilde and Cooper Hoffman. It starts with a body floating in a pool which makes you think it’s a murder mystery. But it’s really more like Sunset Boulevard, meets Fifty Shades of Grey in a film where a self-proclaimed successful, narcissist, hot Cougar, preys on new employees for kinky sex.
Olivia Wilde is wild as Erika, the boss whose latest sex toy is 23-year-old struggling, love-starved, art school grad, Elliott (Hoffman). He’s willing to do anything for what he thinks has just become his dream job. Little does he realize it is about to become so exquisitely painful and demanding in what turns out to be an abusive, abnormal workplace. She even orders her workers to chew gum to stick to a canvas creating an artwork she can sell for big bucks.
Erika, the provocatively dressed or undressed, artsy-fartsy influencer of the moment is the artistic director and CEO of an elite gallery. Elliott’s interview with Erika is a sham. She’s hiring someone to service her, literally. Everyone else working in this gallery already knows it. He can’t believe his luck at being hired by this vixen. Erika’s all-knowing Personal Assistant, Vikktor (Daveed Diggs) and co-worker Zap (Mason Gooding) are well-aware of the game Erika plays to satisfy her wants and needs. Elliott is mesmerized by her and hasn’t got a clue what he’s just gotten himself into.
Wilde took it upon herself to get a dominatrix to coach her for the more appalling S & M scenes in this racy project. Hoffman was a little afraid of this premise, but receptive for a chance take the chance and go with it.
Araki (Mysterious Skin, Kaboom) is known for his outrageous approach, stretching the limits in his filmmaking and always looking for lines to cross. That’s exactly what he does here with co-writer and former Vogue Sex Columnist, Karley Sciortino. Erika beckons and Elliott runs to see what she’s got for him to participate in next. Will he be tied up? Spanked? Humiliated? Experience new sex toys? All of the above and more. Araki goes all-in with wild sex-scenes creatively using brief animation sequences to illuminate what’s going on for Elliot, internally.
We learn a lot about Elliott as he’s being questioned for details his disturbing discovery of a body in the boss’ swimming pool. Gregg Araki uses Detectives Zola (Margaret Cho) and Zem (Johnny Knoxville) questioning Elliott revealing the young man’s involvement with Erika. Interesting that Araki gives comedians the straightest parts in the movie.
In the film, poor Elliott is love-starved, struggling with a girlfriend who really wants nothing to do with him physically and emotionally. Minerva (Charlie XCX) is, cold, mean and elusive grousing about having to study her pre-med course so she won’t have to engage in Elliott’s consistant need for connection in conversation or sex. She could care less when she finally relents in a disturbing, long, emotionless sex scene together. It’s uncomfortable to watch. Araki actually asked 3-time Grammy winner, Charlie XCX to come and shoot the scene while she was on the Brat Tour. She took one day off to act all her scenes. She gets the loudest laughs in the most uncomfortably funny scene of the film.
Erika’s wardrobe is just as out there as her personality, which Wilde can easily handle as well as her sex targets. Oscar nominated Costume Designer Arianne Phillips dresses Wilde with architecture in mind. Erika’s fashions are magnificently tailored, strategically placed around Wilde’s sexiest female attributes striving to be as bare as you can get.
Hoffman plays Elliott as a wide-eyed innocent who has no idea what could happen next and that’s part of the charm about his performance. It reflects on young people’s attitudes toward sex and how much they’re getting today, or not, whether they’re Gen X, Y, or Z. Erika is always putting those dazed and confused youngins’ down.
Little is subtle here. Loud, oversaturated, in-your-face, Araki goes for more laughs than in his previous films. Brash and frantic, not everyone’s date night movie. But with shockingly bold performances, Hoffman, and Wilde with a paddle, pack a wallop.
Magnolia Pictures 1 Hour 30 Minutes R
