“It hurts,” whispers Anna, the protagonist of the new Netflix miniseries. obsession. She tells about this to the father of her fiancé, with whom she started an illegal affair. If this setup sounds vaguely familiar to you, it’s because it’s a remake of a 1992 adult thriller. Wound (itself an adaptation of the novel by Josephine Hart).
In the meantime, Prime will be releasing a “psychosexual thriller” next week. dead fightersTV adaptation of the 1988 film of the same name. Paramount+ will air the 1987 TV remake later this month. Fateful attraction. There will also be new versions Probably innocent (on Apple TV) and Cruel Intentions (to Prime).
Do you feel the theme here? It seems like the latest series, Reboot Everything That Ever Came Before, which seems to be going on forever, is aiming for an erotic thriller.
In the 1980s, when the AIDS crisis linked sexuality to danger and gender politics were more tense than ever, pop culture was taken over by erotic thrillers, their scheming romances, and soft sex. It was revolutionary to see this type of content in theaters when otherwise you would probably see it in adult magazines and VHS tapes. At the turn of the millennium, the birth of the Internet (and even easier access to free porn) killed the genre, and erotic thrillers all but disappeared. As long as it stays that way.
In hindsight, we can recognize that these films were riddled with sexism and two-dimensional female characters that fell into one of two categories: femme fatale (like the dangerous seductress Sharon Stone, Katherine Tramell in primal instinct) and a despised woman. The latter is played by Alex (Glenn Close). Fateful Attraction, who is so angry at being rejected by Michael Douglas’ protagonist that she cooks a rabbit for his family. The term “Bunny Boiler” still lives in our lexicon as a shorthand for a jealous or possessed woman, and Close has since deplored the film’s misogynistic legacy. In the cold light of 2023, it’s not hard to see how much this has all shrunk.
And yet we reproduce them here. The landscape has changed a lot in the past 40 years, and these productions will now feature intimacy coordinators, nudity parity provisions and, with any luck, many more women both in the writer’s room and behind the camera.
But whether these stories can even work in the post-MeToo era is another question. There are so many speeches in them, they are so rooted in sexism that I don’t know where to start.
Of course, they are trying to restore this balance. obsessionessentially about male sadomasochistic passion, shifts Wound from Anna’s point of view. dead fighters changed gender for the lead role and will play Rachel Weisz (as opposed to Jeremy Irons from the film). Fateful Attraction also explores the story from Alex’s point of view.
However, I wonder why they care. An optimistic reading is that the genre is being re-established for women at a time when we have become more sex-positive than ever. A less optimistic conclusion is that this trend was born out of desperation, as ever-competing streamers see it as a safe bet: thriller (popular genre) + erotica (sex sells!) + familiar stories (easier to get people to buy) is a must. be a recipe for success.
However, the chances of success are low. IN obsession In this case, there’s no shame in lustful sex (I’m all for it!) – but the weight given to Anna’s backstory seems like nothing more than a gesture, and it’s a case of too little too late. This gives little hope to those who come.
A genre that mixes sex and violence is inherently difficult to get right. The balance shifts very quickly from problematic to overly preachy, both of which leave the viewer indifferent. And while I’m sure it’s possible to create an original feminist erotic thriller, Nicole Kidman will star in the upcoming project. Small, and I’m willing to take it with an open mind, because it’s completely new – trying to revive old stories will surely lead to disaster.
At best, they weaken entrenched misogyny (leaving it empty), and at worst, they do not revive old stereotypes. So please, let’s leave these painfully outdated images of women and sex where they belong – stuck in the past.
obsession now available on Netflix; dead fighters Coming to Prime on April 21; Fateful Attraction Coming April 30th on Paramount+
Source: I News
I am Mario Pickle and I work in the news website industry as an author. I have been with 24 News Reporters for over 3 years, where I specialize in entertainment-related topics such as books, films, and other media. My background is in film studies and journalism, giving me the knowledge to write engaging pieces that appeal to a wide variety of readers.