At this year’s Cannes Film Festival, Molly Manning Walker’s debut feature How to Have Sex was the most talked-about British movie on the Croisette. The film, which follows a group of English teenagers on a post-exams trip to the Greek island town of Malia, earned a long standing ovation at its premiere and later received a sea of strong reviews (it currently sits at 93% on Rotten Tomatoes).
Now, an official trailer has dropped too, with the movie due to hit UK cinemas later this year. Before the hysteria fully kicks off, here’s the answers to all of your burning questions: What is How to Have Sex about? Who is in its cast? Is there a trailer? And when, exactly, will we get to see it?
Here’s everything we know about Molly Manning Walker’s How to Have Sex.
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What’s the plot of How to Have Sex?
The film tells the story of Tara, a 17-year-old British girl on a post-exams trip to the Greek island town of Malia with her two best friends. It’s a place known for debauchery: drinking, drugs, sex – and the trio arrive fully intending to lean into the mayhem of it all. But for Tara, the boisterous, quirky girl of the group, the trip marks a coming-of-age she’s not yet experienced. She’s still a virgin, and is staring down the barrel of an aimless future: she’s convinced she’s failed her exams, and doesn’t have any professional aspirations. Over the course of the week, her life will change irrevocably, as she’s exposed to circumstances beyond her control that will force her to grow up.
Who is in the cast of How to Have Sex?
The character of Tara is played by Mia McKenna-Bruce, the British actor known best for appearing in the kids television series The Dumping Ground. Lara Peake plays Skye, the more forward and brazen girl in the group, while Enva Lewis plays Em, the group’s most studious and formally ambitious character. Secondary characters include the scrappy, tattooed boy Badger, played by Shaun Thomas, and Paddy, played by Samuel Bottomley.
Who is the director of How to Have Sex?
Molly Manning Walker is the film’s director. It’s her debut feature, but she has made shorts before, titled The Worlds My Oyster, The Forgotten C and Good Thanks, You? She’s also a cinematographer, most recently working on the Sundance winner Scrapper.
What are the reviews of How to Have Sex like?
The film has had a glowing response since its premiere at Cannes Film Festival, where it won the coveted Un Certain Regard prize. Time Out called it “a wild and fun ride, whose sober moments are as important as they are uncomfortable”, while Roger Ebert said it was an example of “fresh, passionate, and remarkably assured filmmaking, made with ample energy and even more exhilarating clarity of vision”. Dennis Schwartz called it “a vigorous and provocative film on sexual consent” while The Guardian said it was “an interestingly unsentimental film, without the coming-of-age cliches…”.
Is there a movie trailer for How to Have Sex?
Yep! A new full-length trailer for the film dropped in October. Watch it below.
What’s the release date of the movie How to Have Sex?
How to Have Sex will be released in the UK via MUBI on 3 November 2023. A US release date is due to be announced shortly.