Recxpectations: How to Have Sex

For film reviews, I think there needs to be two distinct camps.
REVIEWS - which help people decide whether they should go see a movie and
CRITICISM - a breakdown of how someone received the film and their take on whether the film succeed or not. Criticism is probably going to need to include spoilers to truly and fully discuss how the person interacted with the film.
What we have now in mainstream film “reviews” is a weird middle ground - a kind of watered-down form of criticism, that often follows the same basic format - a paragraph or two lede that gives the hot take on the film, then a few paragraphs describing what happens in the film (all while trying not to give too much away), and then a few more paragraphs delving deeper into the reviewer’s feelings on the film.
For me, it just feels like half-baked film criticism that doesn’t really serve the audience since it’s so based on the subjective.
What I try to do is give Recommended Expectations aka Recxpectations. I sit back, look at the film as objectively as I can, and give my take on what the best mindset is for an audience member to have as they walk into the theater. Through this approach, I feel like people can figure out whether or not they want to check out the movie at all.

That being said, let’s get to the recommended expectations for “How to Have Sex”.

SYNOPSIS: “Three British teenage girls go on a rites-of-passage holiday - drinking, clubbing, and hooking up, in what should be the best summer of their lives.”

EXPECT: a slice-of-life film
”How to Have Sex” drops you into the action - three friends have come to Malia (which seems like a low-rent version of Ibiza) to party. This film does not have a plot, there’s not a ton of story or character development. Some reviews complain about the lack of insight into the characters but I liked that it didn’t stop down for the usual (and often stilted) Getting-to-Know-You conversations to spell out who everyone is. The screenplay drops little facts here and there so you can get a feel of who the characters are in a way that feels natural and real.
In general, this film is more observational than narrative. This isn’t someone telling you a story as much as you’re simply witnessing a moment in time unfold.

On this same note:
DON’T EXPECT: the film to teach lessons or take sides
New York Times critic Manohla Dargis wrote that the film “seems weirdly insensitive toward Tara” but that, to me, was part of the reality of the situation. The world is rarely a sensitive place and you don’t always get the time to stop down and absorb what’s happened to you or your friends.
I usually hate lack of communication in films but here, the silence isn’t there to work as a plot device, it’s there because that’s what often happens in these moments. Bad things happen; reckonings or even recognition that they happened isn’t always in the cards.

EXPECT: one character focus
“How to Have Sex” focuses almost completely on Mia McKenna-Bruce’s Tara character. We have small glimpses into the other characters’ lives - and all of the performances work perfectly IMO given the naturalistic feel of the film - but everything revolves around Tara.
In short, Tara arrives at Malia a virgin, and her friends seem to think this is the week she will finally have sex. Again, there are barely any conversations about it; it’s more about watching Tara navigate the hyper-sexual environment.

DON’T EXPECT: to immediately love Tara
I got very nervous at the start of the film because the three friends are kind of screechy, over-the-top girls whom a lot of people would probably hope to avoid while on holiday. I’m not sure if Tara’s raspy voice is the definition of vocal fry but it’s close enough to remind you of some people you might be annoyed by. '

DON’T EXPECT: much fun
This film is kind of the anti-MTV Spring Break (and oof, I’m just realizing what a dated that reference is.) But on MTV, they’d show all of the fun and good times of Spring Break. Even when “Hot to Have Sex” is partying, it doesn’t spend a lot of time on the fun. We see people drinking but quickly flash forward to the vomit or passing out or headaches in the morning. Writer/Director Molly Manning Walker seems to know that we’ve all seen hard partying before and we can recognize that we’re in a kind of hedonistic environment so we don’t need to spend too much time on that. Also, the POV is Tara’s so there’s often a level of questioning or discomfort with her surroundings that the film makes palpable.

EXPECT: to be uncomfortable
Any kids hoping to go on Spring Break or on a summer trip to a party resort town should pray their parents don’t watch this film because I can’t imagine any mom or dad would feel comfortable sending their kid away after seeing this. Not only is the debauchery of Malia worrisome for parents but it also shows how you can’t always trust the people you’re around; even your closest mates might not have your best interests in mind.
”How to Have Sex” falls squarely in the genre of film that you appreciate more than enjoy. You leave the theater impressed by the craft on screen and affected by it but you aren’t feeling all that happy about it. This is an end-of-the-night movie, not something you watch to kick off the evening.

My final take is that “How to Have Sex” is a well-made movie that should help launch some careers but if you’re looking for an escape or story/character pieces, you’ll probably want to hold off on this one.