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Managing editor & film and television critic with a Bachelor's of Arts in English Literature with a Writing Minor from the University of Guam. Currently in graduate school completing a Master's in English Literature.
Is the teen comedy genre dying? Not necessarily, although new ideas — as they tend to be — are hard to come by. American High has a new teen comedy film streaming on Hulu on January 14th titled, Sex Appeal. Tate Hanyok serves as its screenwriter, while Talia Osteen serves as the film’s director.
Sex Appeal is Hulu’s fifth original project under the film production company, American High, the previous four films being Big Time Adolescence, The Binge, The Ultimate Playlist of Noise, and Plan B.
In this review, I will be discussing Osteen’s upcoming film. There will be no spoilers present, as the title of this article suggests. Nonetheless, please read ahead at your own discretion to avoid any potential spoilers.
Plot Synopsis
According to the Hulu press site, here is the synopsis of Osteen’s Sex Appeal.
Avery Hansen-White doesn’t do things she isn’t excellent at. So when her long-distance boyfriend hints at wanting to take their relationship to the next level, she sets out to master her sexuality, employing her oldest friend, Larson, as a test subject. In this hilarious teen comedy, Avery’s study results in the realization that there’s more to sex, and love, than mechanics. Relationships require both head and heart.
Hulu
The Cast
The cast members of Osteen’s film are as follows.
Mika Abdalla portrays the female lead, Avery Hansen-White, while Jake Short plays the male lead, Larson. Fortune Feimster, Margaret Cho, and Rebecca Henderson play Avery’s three mothers, respectively: Mama Suze, Ma Deb, and Ma Kim.
Paris Jackson, Troy Leigh-Ann Johnson, Joshua Colley, Belissa Escobedo, Philip Solomon, Daniel Iturriaga, Trey Quick, and Ben Wang portray Avery’s respective peers/ research participants, Danica McCollum, Cheerleader Nikki, Tristan, Bianca, Jafar, Mateo, Troy, and Franklin.
Daniela Nieves portrays Lyssa, a band class peer of Larson’s. Tate Hanyok, Artemis Pebdani, and Hayden Szeto portray mathematics teacher Ms. Russell, Sex-Ed teacher Ms. Carlson, and English literature teacher Mr. Vemmer, Avery’s respective high school teachers. Mason Versaw portrays Casper, Avery’s boyfriend.
Ariela Sidney plays Marla, while Sahana Srinivasan appears as Neda Raj. Ted Evans appears as Avery’s AI Spock Voice Impersonator.
The Crew
The crew members of Osteen’s Sex Appeal are as follows.
Danielle Aufiero and Amber Horn serve as the casting directors of the film. BLKMKT serves as the music supervisor, while Jeffrey Brodsky curates the musical composition. Gennady “Gena” Fridman serves as the editor, with Zachary Harrison as the additional editor. Sherri Kauk serves as the director of photography.
Tere Duncan and Gina Ruiz serve as the costume designers, while Nate Jones serves as the production designer. Randi Hokett serves as the film’s set decorator. Sarah Hoke serves as the costume supervisor, Celine Rahman serves as the key costumer, while Kimberly Grader and Joel Putterman serve as the additional costumers.
Christina Samuels serves as the head of the makeup department, with Amani Saleh as the key make-up artist. Brittany Romney serves as the head of the hair department, with Selah Ware as the additional hairstylist.
Logos vs Pathos: A Discussion of Sex Appeal
While Plan B film seems to have a stronger impact on me, I do feel that this newer film proves to possess some excellency in its rhetorical approach. If we were to look at the three main modes of persuasion/ appeal, then one should know that it consists of ethos (character), logos (logic), and pathos (emotion). Hanyok writes up a somewhat cringe yet wildly hilarious and lovely script juxtaposing logic and emotion. This is best demonstrated in the film’s female and male leads (played by Abdalla and Short).
Sex Appeal pays homage to some of the best teen comedies — as well as teen sex comedies — since the 1980s, even as far back as the late-1970s. This includes allusions to Grease, Say Anything…, 10 Things I Hate About You, American Pie, and more. The film also makes direct references to Romeo and Juliet, The Lord of the Rings, and Star Trek. By taking elements of such beloved movies, Hanyok and Osteen present a remarkable narrative for film buffs.
On the topic of love, it’s all about chemistry, which is more of tapping into pathos than it is into logos. While one character argues that “love is what makes a good lover,” the other disputes that “love is a choice” compared to sex. In the end, neither love nor sex guarantees a happy ending for anyone. They do, however, guide an individual towards insights necessary for symbiosis. The fact that one so focused on academics needs to expand their mitwelt works for this film as it had for, say, Booksmart about three years prior.
There is no scientific formula for love but rather the feelings that drive a person to love another.
Ethos: Performances and Character Developments of Sex Appeal
Abdalla is bright and brilliant as Avery, a character who knows how to get the job done yet forgets that a crucial piece of the puzzle is missing. She does the role justice, honoring her predecessors and going where perhaps no previous female protagonist of the romance genre has gone before.
Short is relative to pathos, as a person who finds difficulty in moving forward from rejection and heartbreak. We don’t see much of his side of the story, which is quite a shame since he’s someone to empathize with. Along with Abdalla, his role offers a fate that we don’t really expect to see from the teen comedy genre.
I feel like the film was setting up Michael Jackson’s daughter, Paris Jackson, to have a large role as Danica McCollum. Her screentime is shorter than I imagined as she was introduced and with the near 91-minute runtime, I wish her presence was prolonged a bit out of all the other American High peers.
None of the adult characters brought any influence to the teenagers in the film as Suze, Deb, and Kim have. Feimster, Cho, and Henderson play the parental figure roles so well, in my opinion. Watching them have “the talk” (or attempts at it) with Avery is hilarious but can also hit home depending on how you see it.
Final Thoughts
Most people who do know of the three main appeals of rhetoric might not be aware of the lesser-known fourth: kairos (timing). Sex Appeal keeps the teen comedy/ teen sex comedy genre alive by celebrating its clichés but still giving something new for modern-day audiences. A film with a narrative like this is always needed to inform teenagers and young adults that there is more to life than drowning in education. Although, of course, “ahead of its time” films such as Booksmart will exist. Like Wilde’s film, Sex Appeal allows its characters to break from their status quos. It’s just that Osteen’s film is a little more subtle and holds an emphasis on the sexual aspects of the genre.
Overall, I would give Sex Appeal a 3.75 out of 5 stars rating. With a runtime of about an hour and thirty-one minutes, I would have liked more plot and character development. The pace can get a tad brisk, and while I do enjoy both the production design and the music, what I adore a little more is the costuming. It’s not the best in the genre, but it does prove that it needs to be kept alive.
Are you a fan of the teen comedy genre? If so, what are your thoughts on it? Let us know! For more comedy and drama-related news and reviews visit and follow The Cinema Spot on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!
Managing editor & film and television critic with a Bachelor's of Arts in English Literature with a Writing Minor from the University of Guam. Currently in graduate school completing a Master's in English Literature.
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