In Gregg Araki’s new film, an artist and her assistant test boundary between mentorship and exploitation

In Gregg Araki's latest film, I Want Your Sex, an assistant, Elliot, works under the guidance of multidisciplinary artist Erika Tracy. Elliot is metaphorically a slave to Erika's feminine sexuality, as he performs demeaning and degrading tasks, such as attaching chewing gum to a canvas with an image of a vulva. Amidst this, Elliot's girlfriend (played by Charli XCX) notices her boyfriend's shift towards submission and begins to worry.

Erika, who is in need of adoration and validation, pushes Elliot to fully embrace his sexual desires, even if it means going against his instincts.

The film opens with a flash-forward scene, depicting Erika in a state of unconsciousness in her swimming pool, reminiscent of the opening of Sunset Boulevard (1950). In the film, Erika's sexually explicit work, both of herself and her partners, reflects the autobiographical style of another controversial artist from the 1990s, Tracey Emin. This reflects the ongoing exploration of power imbalances within the art world and the blurred line between mentorship and exploitation.

I Want Your Sex presents a critique of the art market and the contemporary fetishization of sex, while simultaneously showcasing the absurdity of the modern art scene. The film succeeds in depicting the relationship between Elliot and Erika with nuance and complexity, making it an intriguing and daring addition to the New Queer Cinema movement.