Sundance 2024

Molly Manning Walker's How to Have Sex perfectly encapsulates the chaotic cocktail of teenage emotions, expectations, and insecurities, all magnified by alcohol-fueled nights on a post-exam holiday. The film follows three British teens—Tara (Mia McKenna-Bruce), Skye (Lara Peake), and Em (Enva Lewis)—as they escape to a sun-drenched Greek island to celebrate the end of their exams before university. For them, this trip is a rite of passage, a stepping stone from adolescence into adulthood. But Walker's nuanced portrayal reveals how quickly things can spiral out of control when vulnerable emotions are masked by bravado and alcohol.

Tara is at the heart of this story, played with remarkable vulnerability by Mia McKenna-Bruce. Wide-eyed and excited, Tara is on a personal mission to lose her virginity. Yet, as the holiday progresses, it becomes clear that this pursuit is more about societal pressure than individual desire. Tara's emotional arc serves as the central tension in the film—her expectations for what this rite of passage should feel like clash violently with the murky reality of intoxication, peer pressure, and blurred consent.

The film's strength lies in its painfully authentic depiction of teenage friendships and how alcohol and insecurity can shift dynamics in an instant. Tara's relationship with her two closest friends, Skye and Em, is complex. One minute, they're laughing and sharing intimate moments; the next, they're bickering or subtly undermining each other. This authenticity is what resonated most with me. Walker expertly captures the ebb and flow of teenage camaraderie—how trust and intimacy can quickly form with strangers. Yet, insecurity and jealousy can surface even among the best of friends. It portrays how fraught navigating friendship and identity can be at this age.

Though How to Have Sex touches on the important topic of consent, its broader cautionary tale is about who you choose to have in your corner during these vulnerable moments of self-discovery. Tara's vulnerability is laid bare, and as the audience, we can feel how isolated she becomes when the people she should rely on seem either oblivious or indifferent to her inner turmoil.

Mia McKenna-Bruce's performance as Tara is nothing short of a star-making turn. Her portrayal of Tara's wide-eyed innocence slowly turning to confusion, fear, and, ultimately, self-realization is a masterclass in emotional subtlety. Molly Manning Walker's direction in her feature debut is equally impressive. She delivers a raw and unflinching look at the coming-of-age experience that is sure to linger with audiences.

Highly recommend.

— 4 / 5 ⭐