Mason Gooding

I Want Your Sex (2026): A Wilde, Sexy Ride

Posted on by Jack Drees

“I Want Your Sex” is directed by Gregg Araki (13 Reasons Why, Now Apocalypse) and stars Olivia Wilde (Don’t Worry Darling, Tron: Legacy), Cooper Hoffman (The Long Walk, Licorice Pizza), Mason Gooding (Ballers, Love, Victor), Chase Sui Wonders (The Studio, Generation), Johnny Knoxville (Jackass, Action Point), Margaret Cho (30 Rock, All American Girl), Roxane Mesquida (Now Apocalypse, Gossip Girl), Charli XCX (The Moment, UglyDolls), and Daveed Diggs (Black-ish, The Boys). This film is about a man named Elliot who takes a job at a company specializing in erotic art. Soon after taking said job, he finds himself in a sexual relationship with his boss.

© 2026 – Magnolia Pictures

Sex sells. End of story. Well, unless your sex-centric movie comes out against “Spider-Man,” then that’s a different conversation entirely. As Tom Holland, Zendaya, and Jon Bernthal continue their box office domination with “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” released just two weeks after their smash hit “The Odyssey,” a significantly smaller title is getting, unsurprisingly, nowhere near as much spotlight. That movie being “I Want Your Sex.”

The concept of this film is intriguing, as it places a 23 year old man with a much more experienced woman in a series of sexual situations. The kicker to this, the 23 year old man just so happens to be working for said woman at, amazingly enough, a company dedicated to erotic art.

Couple things to note… First off, my family does read this blog, and I have no problem with them knowing that I very much enjoyed this raunchy, sexy movie. I would like to shoutout one cool aunt who was confused as to why I recommended “Anora,” which she deemed “pornagraphic.” Auntie… That’s tame compared to what “I Want Your Sex” has to offer. You’ve been warned. Now for all the sick human beings who have not clicked away from this review, you are in for a good time.

© 2026 – Magnolia Pictures

The best thing about this movie is the cast, not necessarily because of anyone’s star status, although it does contain a few recognizable names including Cooper Hoffman and Olivia Wilde, whose chemistry together is electric. For those who have followed me for a while, you may be aware that I was not the biggest fan of another film in which Hoffaman stars, “Licorice Pizza.” It is not entirely his fault the movie did not work for me, Hoffman played his part as he was instructed to do so. But the dynamic between Hoffman and Wilde in this latest film reminded me a bit of the dynamic the former had with Alana Haim in “Licorice Pizza.” This is yet another case of a much younger man having feelings of some sort for a woman much older than him. While the relationship in “Licorice Pizza” felt uncomfortable, I actually found quite a bit of enjoyment in what “I Want Your Sex” had to offer. Partially because one, the relationship is… Well, legal… Also, whereas I found Hoffman’s character in “Licorice Pizza” to be a pervy creep, I found myself occasionally sympathizing with the one he plays in “I Want Your Sex…”

As for the opposite end of the dynamic, Olivia Wilde, she is a knockout. Erika is packed with all kinds of range. Every once in a while you can see Wilde portraying her as a stern conversationalist. Sometimes she enters boss mode. Other times she gloriously loses her temper. And then there are those moments where her actions speak louder than her words. Every scene between Erika and Elliot had my eyes glued to the screen because I genuinely had no idea where things were going to go with them at certain points. This movie is a rather unpredictable ride.

The surprise star of the film… Charlie XCX. I never cared for her music, but even I must admit that she is brilliant here. On top of everything that is going on between Hoffman and Wilde, the former also just so happens to be in a relationship with XCX’s character of Minerva. One would think that my favorite sex-centric moment of the movie is between Hoffman and Wilde, but it is actually between the former and Charlie XCX, because it says a lot about where both characters were in the relationship and further tapped into Hoffman’s sexual tendencies. The scene perfectly establishes Hoffman’s need for sex in order to stay sane, as opposed to Charlie XCX, who clearly could not give two craps about it in addition to the relationship itself. Of all the characters in the film, Charlie XCX’s seems to be the least expressive, perhaps on purpose. I have no problem with it. The character works.

On top of the awkward intimate moments shared between Minerva and Elliot, the film occasionally has a hint or two that highlights how, let’s just say, important sex is to the latter. Elliot’s roommate, Apple (Wonders), asks him if he has ever faked an orgasm, to which he responds, “Well, I’m a guy, so…” It also puts a spotlight on unrealistic standards people seem to have for sex, especially when one is so often exposed to it in parts of their daily life outside of the actual activity.

If anything, the film is a love letter to, and at the same time, a parody of Gen Z, which I happen to be a part of. There is a lot of media coverage suggesting that some members of this generation do not exactly have a complete interest in sex, or have fears about engaging in said activity. Granted some of these people are younger, so sex is probably not something they want to think about. But others, like myself, are in their twenties, which some would stereotype as a time where sex winds up playing some kind of role in one’s life.

At the same time, I wonder how accessible this film will wind up being to my generation, considering how part of said media coverage on Gen Z suggests they want to see less sex in film and television. That said, this film has a lot of sex, and just about every scene ends up contributing to the story in some way.

But this film is a lot more than just sex. It is often quite funny and dramatic. The film, in addition to being about a May-December sexual relationship, also interweaves an intriguing part of the story having to do with the Los Angeles art gallery scene. There is never a boring moment in “I Want Your Sex,” which if there were, would be shocking, as the film is only 90 minutes. Is this the best film I have seen this year? No. But in terms of pacing and messaging, it is top-notch. This is my first Gregg Araki film, and I can say I am a new fan. He has a knack for brisk storytelling. I would love to see him helm another feature down the line.

© 2026 – Magnolia Pictures

In the end, “I Want Your Sex” is wildly entertaining. The film combines comedy, drama, romance, and blends everything together in a neat package. This is not a film for everyone. It is also one that should be watched only with certain individuals. But it was certainly a film for me. Olivia Wilde and Cooper Hoffman have incredible chemistry as the leads, and the film’s supporting cast members are also by every means an asset to the production. I am not the biggest Charli XCX guy, but even I was surprised with her performance as Minerva. She was perfect. I am going to give “I Want Your Sex” a 7/10.

“I Want Your Sex” is now playing in theaters everywhere. Tickets are available now.

Thanks for reading this review! For those new here to Scene Before, in addition to written reviews, I also have recently been doing video reviews! Be sure to check out my latest episode of Movie Requests, the original series where I ask celebrities what movies they think I should talk about, and give my official thoughts! My latest episode features the very funny Amy Sedaris, who suggests I should review two of her favorite movies, “The Elephant Man” and “Babe.” To find out if I liked these movies as much as her, click the video above! And if you enjoy the video, please leave a like and subscribe to my YouTube channel. I have more episodes coming featuring celebrities including Adam Conover, Rosario Dawson, Joe Gatto, Michael Rooker, and Tessa Thompson,. The next episode, which will be released on a future undetermined date, will feature Melissa Barrera (Abigail, In the Heights). Be sure to look out for that when it drops!

My next review is going to be for “The Invite!” Stay tuned! Also coming soon, I will be sharing my thoughts on “Cookie Queens,” “Tony,” “Spa Weekend,” and “Coyote vs. Acme.” If you want to see these reviews and more from Scene Before, follow the blog either with an email or WordPress account! Also, check out the official Facebook page! I want to know, did you see “I Want Your Sex?” What did you think about it? Or, what is your favorite film that you would think twice before watching with your family? Let me know down below! Scene Before is your click to the flicks!

Y2K (2024): A Group of Teens Celebrate a Crappy New Year in This Rad Horror Comedy

Posted on by Jack Drees

“Y2K” is directed by Kyle Mooney and this is his directorial debut. The film stars Jaeden Martell (St. Vincent, It), Rachel Zegler (West Side Story, Shazam! Fury of the Gods), Julian Dennison (Deadpool 2, Godzilla vs. Kong), Lachlan Watson (Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Chucky), Mason Gooding (Love, Victor, Scream), Fred Durst (The Education of Charlie Banks, The Fanatic), and Alicia Silverstone (Clueless, Batman & Robin). This film follows two teenagers who crash a New Years Eve party as the clock gets closer to 2000. When the clock hits midnight, the group of partiers must survive against an army of machines.

While it is not my top film I have been looking forward to all year, “Y2K” is a project that has been on my radar ever since the trailer dropped. The film looked like a crazy good time that answers a question that I have to imagine some people have asked over the past 24 years. What if Y2K actually happened?

This is not the first time Y2K has been played out through a form of entertainment. There is a great “Family Guy” episode that came out around the time said event was on the verge of potentially occurring. It is a funny watch, I highly recommend it. “Y2K,” interesting enough, sometimes plays out like a “Family Guy” episode. There is a lot of throwback humor. There are also a couple sights that might make certain audience members wince. The characters, while well thought out and decently portrayed, are somewhat stereotypical. You have Jaeden Martell playing Eli, a well meaning guy who does not really happen to be that popular. You have his quirky, hyperactive best friend, Danny, played by Julian Dennison. Rachel Zegler plays Laura, a character that fits somewhere within the “popular girl” stereotype. And because this is a movie and we need our hero to want something, we come to know that the unpopular kid, Eli, ends up with the desire to kiss the more popular Laura, particularly during the first moments of the year 2000. And adding a similarity to another Seth MacFarlane project, kind of like the 2012 movie “Ted,” there is a celebrity who appears in the film as themself and they play a bit of a bigger role in the film than a simple cameo.

There are three main elements of “Y2K” that make it worth the price admission for me. I ended up seeing this film at a free screening, so maybe that is not the best phrase to use. But if I were to pay to see this in a theater again, I have a few factors as to why. First off, going back to the actors, they all do a good job with the material given to them. Each character is full of energy to the point where they almost leap off the screen. I especially adored the connection between Jaeden Martell and Rachel Zegler. For the most part, they are believable. There is a bit of an out of the blue turn between them that almost comes off as forced, but I can forgive it somewhat because the two characters are likable and I was nevertheless engaged even in lesser moments between them. Of all the characters in the film, Jaeden Martell is the center of the story, so we get to see him crushing on Zegler for a good amount of the runtime. I thought the film did a great job at displaying that. It felt like something I would have experienced in say middle school or high school. Something so fantastical, yet it is real, but also seemingly hard to act upon. I have a feeling this connection would evoke a sense of nostalgia for some people watching this at a later age.

Speaking of which, this movie tends to handle its 90s nostalgia and timeframe fairly well. The movie delivers a decent soundtrack. There are a lot of good songs in the film that match their specific scenes. The movie starts off doing its best impression of “Searching,” where our point of view is presented through a screen on a computer. As that is going on, there is a moment where dial-up Internet can be heard in the background, and we are seeing a conversation play out in AOL. We also get some moments in a video store. The nostalgia in this film is definitely played up, but it appears to work within the context of the story.

The film is also a horror comedy, and while the film is not the scariest of all time, it contains some good kills, some of which are very funny. Seeing various pieces of technology in this film become completely unhinged is a definite highlight for me. “Y2K” is probably not going to be a movie for everyone, but if you are someone who likes creative attacks and kills, you might be entertained.

Despite containing a lot of positives, “Y2K” is not going to win any Oscars. The film works and is structurally sound, but there is not a ton in it that changes the game. I say this despite also feeling that “Y2K” has given me some of the biggest laughs I had at the cinema this year. I do recommend watching this movie with a crowd. I think it is a great one to see with friends. It would make for a fun night out. If anything, it is a solid first directorial outing from Kyle Mooney, a former “Saturday Night Live” cast member. This film shows he has potential as a filmmaker, and his best work has probably yet to come. But for a first time film, it seems to work. When you have first time directors in recent years firing on all cylinders like Ari Aster with “Hereditary” or Greta Gerwig with “Lady Bird,” it is easy to forget that not all first films have the potential to end up being that director’s best in the long run. When I see debuts like these two, I automatically get excited for the director’s next movie because I think their first film is not just good, but one of the best of the year in which it came out. Therefore, that introduces a problem of recency bias. They say when you do something so lackluster or outright terrible, the only way to go is up. Kyle Mooney’s “Y2K” is definitely far from terrible, but just like something terrible, Mooney has the potential to step things up in his sophomore effort, and I look forward to seeing if he can do that should he continue his directorial career.

In the end, “Y2K” is a mighty fine film. Some would even say it is the bomb. “Y2K” is a film that I would watch a second time if given the opportunity. It is really funny, violent, and contains a likable cast. I am glad to see Rachel Zegler continuing to get more roles. Her cinematic resume is small, but she is one of this generation’s youngest and brightest talents. I loved her in “West Side Story.” I am not really a “Hunger Games” guy so I do not know how she is in “The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes,” but I still think she is a great performer. She can sing. She can act. She can do it all. Hopefully she has a strong career going forward. While Kyle Mooney’s debut as a director is not perfect, “Y2K” carries its own sense of style. I think Mooney could have a future directing more movies. As far as this first movie goes, I had a great time. I am going to give “Y2K” a 7/10.

“Y2K” is now playing in theaters everywhere. Tickets are available now.

Thanks for reading this review! My next reviews are going to be for “Juror #2,” “Wicked,” “Smile 2,” and “Nightbitch.” Stay tuned! If you want to see these reviews and more from Scene Before, follow the blog either with an email or WordPress account! Also, check out the official Facebook page! I want to know, did you see “Y2K?” What did you think about it? Or, if you lived during the transition from 1999 to 2000? What was that time like for you? For me, I was not even two months old so I could not tell you. But for those who do remember that time more vividly, leave your comments down below! Or, if you were born in 2000 or later, what is something associated with the 1990s you enjoy? Let me know down below! Scene Before is your click to the flicks!