- Release year: 2025
- Director: Addison Heimann.
- Producers: Addison Heimann, John Humber, and David Lawson Jr.
- Screenplay by: Addison Heimann.
- Cinematography by: Dustin Supencheck.
- Music by: Jimmy LaValle.
Synopsis: a woman has a relationship with an alien species that leads her to rethink everything she knows about herself and her most meaningful friendship.
Shotgun Commentary: oddly gorgeous horror comedy.
Review
Touch Me is one of those films that keeps you in a state of confusion for a long time… but also makes you feel comfortable about it…? You will never be absolutely sure about what is going on or what comes next, but you will be living for it.
The story begins with its protagonist, Joey (Olivia Taylor Dudley), talking to her therapist. The professional suggests she invents a fictional funny story to talk about her trauma, and she tells her about an encounter she had with an alien and how their intercourse turned violent and threatening, leading her to run away from him. Unsurprisingly, the story is anything but fictional, and Joey is soon confronted by her alien lover Brian (Lou Taylor Pucci).
After an unfortunate accident in the house she shares with her best friend Craig (Jordan Gavaris), she is forced to go back to Brian. This time, bringing Craig with her, which leads to a complicated love triangle that neither of them is particularly invested in resolving in a healthy manner. There is also an old woman lusting over Brian in the equation, kinda like a modern version of the housekeeper figure in Rebecca (1940), but she is barely relevant.
Sex, but make it weird
The feature utilises sex as a conduit for anything but. It is about power, future, peace of mind, deception… Overall, it is a highly erotic film, a fact that becomes clear from the very first scene, where Joey is cleaning his ears with a Q-tip. Cleaning them way more thoroughly than any person cleaning their ears would, that is.
In response to the question anyone who’s seen the poster or trailer probably has: yes, there is tentacle sex. However, it is not like the anime versions you might have encountered. Nor is it like The Evil Dead (1981) scene featuring a horny forest. These moments of physical connection are framed in a shockingly tasteful way, definitely not what you expect from tentacle erotica. They are moments that resemble the cinematic version of a very peaceful psychedelic trip. The use of lights and editing is smart and carefully orchestrated to create a gorgeous scene that anyone and everyone will enjoy looking at. A moment in the film with aesthetics so carefully curated that you will feel the protagonist’s motivation regardless of your kink preference.
So what’s the point?
Still, this film is not just about sex or the potential beauty of beast-themed erotica but about so much more. It is a surprisingly hilarious and creative way to bring up the very real issue of sexual assault and the limits of consent. There is a lot of talk around what constitutes consent, especially among those who need to twist the word to justify their actions. Like most women will tell you, consent is pretty simple: if a person says no, you don’t have consent. If a person is under threat or feels threatened, they are not in a position to consent, even if they don’t say no.
Still, this seems to be very hard to understand for a humongous amount of people who still engage in practices of harassment and abuse, so having a film bring up the subject in such a creative way is, quite honestly, a breath of fresh air in a reality that does not offer many of those. As a woman, this critic can confirm that there is a very real, crushing weight on many—if not all—women’s chests that is built with every year of life. A weight that serves as a constant reminder that you are always prey, that the danger is always lurking.
Final thoughts
Such a harsh topic, along with that of drug addiction, is brought up beautifully in this film. Not merely visually, where it follows an almost The Neon Demon (2016) philosophy of creating a completely different atmosphere for each moment of the film, but also textually. The story is thrilling, terrifying, frustrating, and, despite the sci-fi moments, bluntly relatable.
All in all, Touch Me is a must watch for anyone who enjoys good cinema. It will push the boundaries of those who happen to be conservative about sex and drugs, but it will be totally worth it. More films like this? Yes, please.
Touch Me will be released on digital and Blu-ray from May 4. The limited edition Blu-ray includes:
- Heimann’s debut feature Hypochondriac (2022)
- An exclusive 16-page booklet, “Queerness Made Flesh”, written by horror critic and enthusiast Kat Hughes.
Pre-order the Blu-ray on Amazon here!
Advice to take from this movie:
- Never go after your friend’s partner.
- Never trust people who live in tracksuits.
- Narcissists are not worth your time. They are really not.
What’s your take? Have you watched Touch Me? Don’t hesitate to let me know your thoughts in the comments section below, or leave a message on my contact page! For more reviews and cinema-related articles, check out the rest of my blog! 😀