Gregg Araki is back with a film as provocative as its title suggests. “I Want Your Sex,” the director’s latest feature, opens the Outfest film festival in Los Angeles this week, and Araki is already stirring conversation about the movie’s central themes and the behind-the-scenes process that brought them to life. For the first time in his decades-long career, the filmmaker hired an intimacy coordinator, a decision he says reflects both the evolving industry landscape and the specific demands of a story that dives headfirst into sex, obsession, and power.

The film follows Elliot, a fresh-faced young man played by Cooper Hoffman, who lands a job with renowned artist and provocateur Erika Tracy (Olivia Wilde). Elliot’s fantasies quickly become reality when Erika chooses him as her sexual muse, but the arrangement spirals into something far darker - a journey through betrayal, murder, and the raw edges of human desire. Araki, known for his unflinching work in “The Doom Generation” and “Mysterious Skin,” has never shied away from explicit content. But this time, he says, the emotional stakes demanded a new level of on-set care.

A First for Araki: Bringing in an Intimacy Coordinator

Araki acknowledged that working with an intimacy coordinator was a departure from his earlier films, where he often directed sex scenes with a more improvisational, hands-on approach. He noted that the industry has shifted significantly in recent years, and that having a dedicated professional to navigate the physical and emotional boundaries of actors was essential for “I Want Your Sex.” The coordinator worked closely with both Wilde and Hoffman - and with supporting cast members including Mason Gooding, Chase Sui Wonders, Daveed Diggs, and pop star Charli xcx - to ensure every scene was choreographed with consent and safety as priorities.

The director emphasized that the process didn’t dampen the film’s intensity. Instead, he argued, it allowed the cast to push further into uncomfortable territory because they knew there were clear lines in place. Araki described the collaboration as a way to protect the performers while still delivering the raw, unbridled energy his audience expects. The 90-minute drama, which blends elements of comedy with its darker themes, is a return to the kind of transgressive cinema that first put Araki on the map in the 1990s.

Gen Z’s Changing Relationship with Sex: ‘That’s F-ing Life!’

Beyond the production details, Araki also weighed in on a broader cultural shift that he sees among younger audiences. He pointed to reports and anecdotal evidence suggesting that Gen Z is having less sex than previous generations, and that this trend is reflected in their consumption of media. For a filmmaker whose work has often centered on sexual exploration as a form of identity and rebellion, the observation struck a personal chord.

“That’s F-ing Life!” Araki said, responding to the notion that younger viewers might be turning away from on-screen sex. He didn’t sound dismissive so much as pragmatic, acknowledging that cultural attitudes evolve - and that storytelling must evolve with them. Still, he made clear that “I Want Your Sex” is not a film designed to chase trends or pander to shifting tastes. It is, he implied, a statement about the messy, urgent, and sometimes dangerous power of desire.

The film’s timing, arriving at Outfest - one of the world’s largest LGBTQ+ film festivals - adds another layer of significance. Araki has long been a queer cinema icon, and his work has frequently explored gay and bisexual themes. Casting Olivia Wilde as the magnetic, controlling Erika, and placing her opposite Hoffman’s earnest Elliot, creates a dynamic that flips traditional power structures. Cooper Hoffman, son of the late Philip Seymour Hoffman, steps into a leading role that demands both vulnerability and risk.

Cast and Release Details

The ensemble is rounded out by Chase Sui Wonders as Apple, Daveed Diggs as Vikktor, Johnny Knoxville as Detective Zem, and Margaret Cho as Detective Zola. The film is set for a limited theatrical release on July 29, 2026, just two days after its Outfest premiere.

“I Want Your Sex” currently holds a TMDb rating of 0/10, as it has yet to be widely reviewed. That blank slate may be fitting for a film that intends to provoke, unsettle, and - perhaps most importantly - remind audiences that sex, in all its forms, remains one of cinema’s most potent subjects. Whether Gen Z embraces that message or turns away, Araki seems unbothered. For him, the conversation itself is the point.

Source: Variety