Gregg Araki Returns with a Nostalgic but Uneven Erotic Comedy at Sundance

Gregg Araki makes his long-awaited return to filmmaking with ‘I Want Your Sex,’ a film that revisits the director’s colorful and transgressive style but lacks the vigor of his earlier works. Premiering at the Sundance Film Festival 2026, the movie stars Olivia Wilde as Erika Tracy, a provocative artist who embodies sexual freedom and creative power. Her performance, full of charisma and self-awareness, anchors the film and recalls the glamour of classic Hollywood icons while pushing boundaries with modern eroticism. The story centers on Erika’s relationship with her new assistant Elliot, played by Cooper Hoffman — a naïve young man who becomes her submissive partner in a dom-sub dynamic that aims to satirize contemporary attitudes toward sex and consent. Through this pairing, Araki explores themes of sexual repression, generational divides, and post-MeToo sensibilities, but the execution feels repetitive and less daring than expected. Despite vivid visuals and moments of absurd comedy, the film’s erotic edge dulls quickly, and its social commentary never deepens beyond surface provocation. Reviewers noted Wilde’s magnetic presence and Mason Gooding’s lively performance as bright spots, yet the film’s pacing drags and its humor falters. ‘I Want Your Sex’ emerges as a nostalgic but unsatisfying attempt to recapture the subversive spirit that once defined Araki’s career.