Two highbrow heterosexual couples – who regard themselves as blessed with privilege – agree to engage in an orchestrated single night sexual encounter to test the boundaries of power and desire. The reality is, however, that the sexual encounter isn’t just boundary-pushing or experimenting; it’s clearly sadomasochistic in nature. Consent is complicated by emotional pressure, psychological games, and provocation. Pain, humiliation, and psychological intensity are part of the encounter. It’s not about mutual playfulness or a casual exploration; it’s about asserting dominance.
Emotional and sexual boundaries overlap. The film emphasizes that the kinkiness here is inseparable from the characters’ interpersonal dynamics: Jealousy, vulnerability and arrogance all amplifying the sadomasochistic elements. So while the characters call it “experimentation,” it’s really a carefully choreographed BDSM-style scenario, with emphasis on control, submission and psychological tension rather than just casual sexual exploration.
So: Atticus (played by Cameron Cowperthwaite) is a flustered artist who has just about given up on art. His wife Charlie (played by Director-Writer Maiara Walsh) struggles to rebuild her sense of self after a miscarriage.
Atticus and Charlie were invited to visit close friends Sebastian (played by Mark Hapka), a successful avant-garde erotic photographer specializing in Shibari art) and and his wife Naomi (played by Maya Stojan), a painter harboring dark secrets.
What begins as a dinner celebrating Sebastian’s latest exhibition evolves into a provocative exploration of intimacy and boundaries. As the evening unfolds, jealousy, betrayal, and suppressed tensions push the couples toward devastating consequences.
P.S. The ending is one of those endings that even a cinematic aficionado won’t see coming.
the WORD Editor, Reviewe Gregg W. Morris
