Gregg Araki Returns to Cinemas With I Want Your Sex Starring Olivia Wilde

Gregg Araki is back in cinemas with I Want Your Sex, his first new feature film in more than a decade and a major return for one of the best known filmmakers associated with New Queer Cinema.

The new film stars Olivia Wilde and Cooper Hoffman and opened in UK cinemas on 28 August. Written by Gregg alongside Karley Sciortino, I Want Your Sex mixes comedy, romance, satire, mystery and murder in a story about desire, relationships and changing attitudes towards sex.

What is I Want Your Sex about?

Cooper plays Elliot, an unmotivated young man whose life changes when he lands a job working for renowned artist and provocateur Erika Tracy, played by Olivia.

Erika quickly breaks down the usual boundaries between employer and employee and chooses Elliot to become her sexual muse and subordinate. Their relationship forces Elliot to reconsider his own desires and boundaries, as well as his relationships with his girlfriend Minerva and roommate Apple.

As the situation becomes increasingly complicated, the story moves into a world of shifting power, obsession, betrayal and murder.

The BBFC has classified the film as an 18 and lists it as a comedy, drama, romance and thriller. It has a running time of approximately 90 minutes.

Who stars in I Want Your Sex?

Olivia Wilde leads the cast as Erika Tracy, with Cooper Hoffman playing Elliot.

Charli XCX appears as Elliot’s girlfriend Minerva, while Chase Sui Wonders plays his roommate Apple. The supporting cast also includes Daveed Diggs, Mason Gooding, Margaret Cho and Johnny Knoxville.

The film is directed by Gregg Araki, who also co wrote the screenplay with Karley Sciortino.

It is another distinctive project for Olivia, while Cooper takes one of his most prominent leading roles following appearances including Licorice Pizza.

Gregg Araki returns to the big screen

For LGBTQ+ film audiences, Gregg’s return is one of the biggest reasons I Want Your Sex is attracting attention.

Gregg became closely associated with the New Queer Cinema movement of the 1990s, a period in independent filmmaking that brought a new generation of openly LGBTQ+ stories, filmmakers and perspectives to the screen.

His films include The Living End, Totally F***ed Up, The Doom Generation, Nowhere, Mysterious Skin, Smiley Face and Kaboom.

The BFI describes Gregg as one of the leading figures of New Queer Cinema and identifies his Teen Apocalypse Trilogy, made up of Totally F***ed Up, The Doom Generation and Nowhere, as a major part of his early career.

During the years since his previous feature film, Gregg has continued directing television. I Want Your Sex now brings him back to cinema with many of the subjects that have appeared throughout his work, including sexuality, desire and characters who do not fit neatly into conventional expectations.

Sex, relationships and different generations

I Want Your Sex also looks at the difference between generations when it comes to sex and intimacy.

Gregg has spoken to the BFI about the film as a sex positive story dealing with the generational divide and the very different circumstances younger people have grown up with.

That idea sits at the centre of Elliot and Erika’s relationship. They approach sex, boundaries and relationships from very different perspectives, while the film uses their increasingly complicated connection to examine what each expects from intimacy.

It also places those subjects inside the colourful and unconventional filmmaking style that has become strongly associated with Gregg’s work.

Where can UK viewers watch I Want Your Sex?

I Want Your Sex is now showing in UK cinemas following its release on 28 August 2026.

The film is distributed in the UK by Black Bear Pictures UK Limited, with the BBFC confirming its 18 certificate and approximately 90 minute running time.

For viewers familiar with Gregg Araki’s earlier work, the film marks his long awaited return to feature filmmaking. For audiences discovering his work for the first time, it also provides a new entry point into the career of a director who has played an important role in LGBTQ+ independent cinema for more than three decades.

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