How to Have Sex, written and directed by Molly Manning Walker, falls short of attempting to reveal the sexual pressure on girls through a clubbing trip three 16-year-olds take to Malia.
The protagonist, Tara (Mia McKenna-Bruce), has never had sex, and her two best friends, Skye (Lara Peake) and Em (Enva Lewis), pressure her into thinking now is the time.
Close ups of Tara’s face through clubbing montages show her discomfort throughout as the pressure builds to sleep with fellow hotel guest Paddy (Samuel Bottomley).
While the performances from the cast are excellent, the plot falls flat in delivering a succinct message on sexual pressure, opting to focus on rape.
In two scenes of rape, Tara’s clear discomfort is highlighted, undermining the idea of ‘ambiguous consent’ and the clear issue of Paddy’s actions.
Paddy never faces the consequences of his actions, nor do the complicit characters, Tara’s friends and Paddy’s childhood friend Badger (Shaun Thomas).
The premise isn’t built on, leaving the film feeling like a commentary that women are sexually assaulted, and those involved rarely face legal prosecution or even social ramifications.
Skye never gets the full story of what happened and she remains the best friend pressuring Tara about her experience. Badger relies on being childhood friend to explain why he has never confronted Paddy’s behaviour, continuing the cycle of abuse.
This ending leaves only Tara scarred, in a realistic lack of consequences. This questions that if sexual assault remains unchallenged in films, how would it be challenged in reality?