Sex Appeal Trailer: Hulu Hopes To Make The Grade With New Teen Comedy
For many students, winter break is over and school is back in session. Keeping in that spirit, Hulu has dropped a new trailer for "Sex Appeal," a new high school comedy from the same production company that brought you "Plan B" and "Big Time Adolescence." And just like the protagonist played by "Cruel Summer" and "Project Mc2" star Mika Abdalla in the film, the streamer is hoping that the film will earn high marks from their audience.
'You. Me. Sex Stuff.'
In "Sex Appeal," Abdalla plays the studious Avery Hansen-White. Her precociousness and highly scientific mind have propelled her to the top of her class. But when her boyfriend suggests that their relationship should graduate to the next level, Avery is concerned that her experience in the sheets doesn't equal up to a passing grade. That's when she enlists her best friend Larson (Jake Short) to be her sexual study buddy. But as you would expect, her journey to the horny honor roll gets complicated when feelings interfere with her experimental data.
The film, which is directed by Talia Osteen and written by Tate Hanyok, also features a pretty great cast. In addition to Adalla and Short, we see "American Horror Stories" alum Paris Jackson, "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia" breakout Artemis Pebdani, "The Mindy Project" and "Kenan" star Fortune Feimster, and comedy legend Margaret Cho.
Here's the trailer for "Sex Appeal," followed by the official plot synopsis:
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.
The trailer gives off big "Easy A" meets "The To Do List" vibes. Since the genre has largely been white male dominated for decades, it's great to finally see more high school sex comedies from a female student's point of view. Plus, it looks like they're doing some fun stuff with the actual sex scenes themselves. The best entries in this genre aren't afraid to talk about the things real kids are talking about while having a lot of fun along the way, rather than leaning on raunchiness as a crutch. That's likely why movies like "Fast Times at Ridgemont High," "Dazed and Confused," "Superbad," and "Juno" stand out and stand the test of time. Will "Sex Appeal" join the ranks of the great teen movies? We'll find out when it premieres on Hulu on January 14, 2022.