Rating: B+
Teenage sex-coms seem to go hand in hand with the grotesque. From pie fucking to sexual assault, the cinematic attitude towards teen sexuality tend to push the limits of not only taste and propriety, but also of legality. So rarely is it give the respect and agency it deserves.
Which is probably why Yes, God, Yes feels so remarkably fresh. The film, the debut from writer/director Karen Maine, is the rare teen sex romp that dedicates itself to the actual exploration and development of its characters. Lacking are the absurd and illegal exploits that mar most films of the genre. In its place we have thoughtful introspection and the respect that teenage sexuality deserves.
In a remarkable turn away from her breakout role as Nancy in Stranger Things, Natalia Dyer stars as Alice, a mild mannered student at a Catholic school who, like so many teenagers her age, is on the cusp of discovering the joys of masturbation. Compounding this, however, is her desire to not spend all of eternity in the fires of Hell. Can she be a good Catholic, or even a good person, while exploring her sexuality? Is she doomed to never know the pleasures of the flesh or, worse still, doomed to the pits of Satan?
Comparisons to Saved are almost too easy to make. Both it and Yes, God, Yes are cut from the same cloth and explore the process of self-discovery within a hyper-religious background. And both, at their core, explore the process of ridding one’s self of the shame associated with sexuality. But where Saved played to elements of the absurd and the madcap, Yes, God, Yes plays toward realism.
Inspired, in part, by Maine’s own experiences growing up, Yes, God, Yes does, indeed, feel like a film about an actual person. Alice could be any girl you knew in high school, struggling not just with school but with her own self-perception and the perceptions of her peers. And given that her peers are all hyper-Catholic, the tendency towards shame runs deep for the young woman.
That aspect gives the film something of a cringe-comedy appeal. Having no one but herself and the internet to guide her in her explorations, Alice is prone to making mistakes and missteps, each of which increases the feeling of awkwardness of the film. But it’s awkward in the same way that adolescence and newly awakened sexuality is supposed to be awkward.
Dyer, for her part, plays Alice beautifully, imbuing her with a sense of chaste timidity and naïveté. Dyer proves that she’s not just Nancy and displays a range both dramatic and comedic that allows her to truly stretch as a performer. Maine’s script, meanwhile, is heartfelt and poignant, giving due respect to female adolescent sexuality and the lack of information so many young girls have about their burgeoning desires.
As first features go, Yes, God, Yes is a charming and poignant little film that isn’t afraid to stand against the teenage sex-com status quo. Giving voice to the female experience of sexual exploration, Maine has crafted a unique and delightful comedy that comes from the heart and offers some much needed perspective into the genre.
Yes, God, Yes is now available on demand.
One Response
Man, this is so crazy. I find it a bit interesting.