TIFF Review: ‘Everybody Wants to Fuck Me’ Mixes Satirical Comedy and Dark Thriller to (Mostly) Solid Effect

A good high concept can be a great starting point for a genre work. In the case of Everybody Wants to Fuck Me, the high concept is able to travel across genres, which you don’t always see. What if Obsession was, at least initially, more of a comedy? In broad strokes, that’s the set up for this movie, though by the end, it’s become a thriller, and even a bit of a horror flick. Playing at the Toronto International Film Festival, it’s a great title that ends up in an overall serviceable, if flawed, work.

Everybody Wants to Fuck Me could have stood to have been a black comedy longer, as once it turns into a thriller, things are a little less enjoyable. The move towards horror is a mistake, though the conclusion is rather clever. There’s a sense here that the film could have been a bit better, though considering some of the big swings, it certainly could have been a lot worse.

Adam (Taron Egerton) is a self-proclaimed “nice guy” in the world of London dating. He comes off as exactly what a woman might want, until he gets what he wants. In reality, it’s a carefully choreographed ruse, though one he finds harmless, even if his gay best friend Emma (Charly Clive) is fed up with this act. Then, he flirts with the wrong woman, which changes everything.

When Adam sees Sofia (Jessica Henwick) sitting alone, he thinks she’s an easy target. However, she sees right through him. Still, she invites him home, where she lives in a commune of sorts. Then, passing out before they seal the deal, he wakes up to find that all women now desire him. First, they’re more interested than before, taking all the work out of things. Then, they seem obsessed with him. Soon, any woman who spots him becomes determined to have sex with him. From there, things get weirder.

Taron Egerton is deeply committed to this role, making Adam likable yet also exactly what’s wrong with modern dating. Egerton makes the evolution of Adam understanding what’s happening and losing his mind over it a deliberate one. By the time he seems like a raving lunatic, you’re just happy to watch him in action. Jessica Henwick doesn’t have a ton to do, but she’s initially very mysterious. In addition to Charly Clive, the supporting cast includes Mia McKenna-Bruce, Herbert Nordrum, and more.

Filmmaker Jonathan Schey initially finds the dark humor in this premise, only in the back half going genre with it. The move from comedy to thriller isn’t an unsuccessful one, though when things turn towards horror, it’s a mistake. Schey also has a CGI scene towards the end that just doesn’t work, look good, or feel necessary. The hook of Everybody Wants to Fuck Me is good enough to sustain a movie without as many right turns. The pivots keep you on your feet, to be sure. They’re just inconsistent in nautre and execution.

Everybody Wants to Fuck Me is a middle of the road TIFF title, though the concept, as well as Egerton, is enough to make this worthy of a mild recommendation. The title is a hoot, obviously, and elements of the film are too. The rest? Solid enough to recommend, though obviously you should keep your expectations decidedly in check.

SCORE: ★★★