The Sex Monster

A man convinces his wife to invite another woman into the bedroom, but soon discovers she can’t control her desire for other women.

The Sex Monster is somewhat of a puzzle, and after watching it the viewer is left wondering what exactly the filmmaker was trying to say.

The cast is great. Writer, director, and star Mike Binder is believable in the lead and Mariel Hemingway surprisingly shows great range. Stephen Baldwin and Kevin Pollak steal their scenes what basically amount to cameos.

The Sex Monster’s script starts great, giving us a subtle and clever portrayal of the mind-games and tricks men will use to try and get their partners to agree to three-way sex. The script stays on target as Binder’s character sees an opening and manipulates everything and everyone to achieve his goal. It’s only after the first actual three-way that the script falls apart.

Instead of remaining grounded in reality and being subtle and clever, the script abruptly changes gears and goes for over-the-top absurdity. The idea that by opening this “floodgate” of feelings for other women in his wife Binder’s character has created a “Sex Monster” is more at home in an 80s sex-comedy than in the witty and clever comedy setup by the first act.

This abrupt shift calls into question the film’s message. Is the filmmaker trying to show us that three-way sex can only bring problems, or by showing such an absurd and farcical scenario, is he trying to tell us that we’re exaggerating the consequences? At first I was firmly planted behind the first scenario, but after reflection I’m beginning to think the second might actually be true.