Sexual Drive (film)

The film is divided into three distinct segments, each named after a dish and centered around a specific sexual or psychological complex. All three episodes are linked by the recurring character Kurita, a shabby, unsettling man who confronts each protagonist with a secret that exposes their repressed desires. ; Natto Enatsu (Ryo Ikeda), a designer leading a sexless married life, is approached by a strange man named Kurita (Tateto Serizawa), who claims to be investigating an extramarital affair involving Enatsu's wife Megumi (Manami Hashimoto). Over the course of their conversation, Kurita vividly describes Megumi eating sticky natto, turning the act of eating into an erotic performance. As the details grow increasingly intimate, Enatsu's jealousy and frustration surface, and the image of natto becomes a catalyst for unearthing his suppressed desires and anxieties about his marriage. ; Mapo Tofu Akane (Honami Satō), an office worker suffering from depression and panic attacks, is trying to overcome a crippling fear of driving after a past incident. Kurita inserts himself into her life by recounting an episode in which she nearly ran him over with her car, using the incident to taunt and manipulate her. Through a charged sequence involving the preparation of intensely spicy mapo tofu for her husband (Mukau Nakamura), Akane's bottled-up rage and latent sadistic impulses are brought to the surface, shifting the power dynamic between her and the men around her. ; Ramen Ikeyama (Shogen), a married advertising executive, maintains an affair with his younger lover Momoko (Rina Takeda). Hoping to end the relationship, he cancels a planned meeting with her. Kurita then calls Ikeyama, claiming to have abducted Momoko and describing in graphic detail how aroused she was while eating an extraordinarily greasy "back-fat" ramen with extra garlic. As Ikeyama slurps through his own bowl of ramen while listening to Kurita's narration, feelings of guilt, lust and gluttony become intertwined, driving him back toward an encounter he had intended to avoid. == Cast ==

• Tateto Serizawa as Kurita • Ryo Ikeda as Enatsu • Manami Hashimoto as Megumi • Honami Satō as Akane • Mukau Nakamura as Akane's husband • Shogen as Ikeyama • Rina Takeda as Momoko == Production ==

Sexual Drive was produced by the independent Japanese company Shaiker, with Tsuyoshi Goto credited as producer. The film's cinematography was handled by Masafumi Seki, with an electronic score composed by Akira Matsumoto. Critics have noted Sexual Drive as a continuation of Yoshida's interest in erotic and fetishistic subject matter, following earlier works such as The Torture Club (2014) and Love Disease (2018). == Release ==

The film had its world premiere in the Big Screen Competition section of the 50th International Film Festival Rotterdam, where it was nominated for the VPRO Big Screen Award. Film Movement acquired North American rights and released Sexual Drive in the United States on 22 April 2022 in virtual cinemas and on VOD platforms. == Reception ==

Sexual Drive received generally positive reviews from critics. On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 66 out of 100, based on 4 critic reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews." David Ehrlich of IndieWire gave the film a B-, writing that "Yoshida's giddy fetishism makes for its own simple fun. For all of his movie's empty calories, there's still an aftertaste of truth to the idea that holds its predictably heteronormative trio of stories together." Dennis Harvey of 48 Hills wrote that "this peculiar exercise in the humor of mortification may make you squirm, but it will almost certainly also make you laugh." Rich Cline of Shadows on the Wall gave it 4 out of 5 stars, praising its "bonkers sensibility," calling the film "bright and often wickedly funny, cleverly exploring the shifting power of attraction." Panos Kotzathanasis of Asian Movie Pulse described it as "a very entertaining triptych that thrives on the ingenious ways Yoshida Kota uses to present the connection between food and sex." ==References==