The Grand Illusion

The latest from New Queer Cinema pioneer Gregg Araki, I WANT YOUR SEX tells the story of Elliot (Cooper Hoffman), a kind-hearted if unmotivated twentysomething whose fantasies quickly come true when he lands a job with renowned artist and provocateur Erika Tracy (Olivia Wilde).

When Erika breaks down office boundaries and takes Elliot on as her sexual muse and subordinate, their sexually charged relationship makes him question his own desires, boundaries, and relationships with his uptight girlfriend (Charli XCX) and repressed roommate (Chase Sui Wonders). As the stakes heighten and power dynamics shift, the film mixes satire, romantic comedy, mystery, and murder through the colorful and edgy visual language for which Araki is best known.

“…a reminder that [Araki] remains a vital, even essential, voice in indie filmmaking.” Mel Valentin, ScreenAnarchy

“…the movie belongs to Hoffman and Wilde, both of whom are fantastic. Most importantly, they are great together. Hoffman’s everyman energy bounces off Wilde’s intense beauty in a manner that gives the film its horny pulse.” Brian Tallerico, RogerEbert.com

Supplemental viewing: Check out more Araki in August with his long unseen and hard to find debut feature, THREE BEWILDERED PEOPLE IN THE NIGHT, showing at Northwest Film Forum, and the new restoration of MYSTERIOUS SKIN, one of Grand Illusion Lead Programmer Trevor’s all-time favorite movies (and one of the final films we played, pre-restoration, at our old location at 1403 NE 50th St). Catch it at either Northwest Film Forum or The Beacon.