In Jonathan Schey’s debut feature Everybody Wants to Fuck Me, Taron Egerton portrays Adam, a character who embodies a specific type of modern performative masculinity. Adam prides himself on being the ideal partner: he works in an all-female gallery, stays conscious of his own cis white male privilege, reads Edna O’Brien’s Country Girl in Hackney cafes, and keeps a poster of Cléo from 5 to 7 on his wall. He even owns a Mubi tote bag and named his dog after a member of the band Haim. However, behind this meticulously constructed veneer, Adam is fundamentally a fraud.
The film opens with a precise meet-cute between Adam and a woman played by Mia McKenna-Bruce. Their encounter appears perfect—they dance to Troye Sivan and bond over their shared affection for Before Sunset. Despite the charm, the following morning reveals fractures in Adam’s behavior. While he tells her he is “obsessed” during their intimacy, his attitude toward her shifts immediately afterward. Whether it is because he is in a “bojangled headspace,” his annoyance over a mug lacking a coaster, or simply a repetitive pattern of behavior, it becomes clear that Adam does not truly care for his casual partners.
Adam’s behavior often draws sharp criticism from his loyal but exhausted gay best friend, Emma, played by Charly Clive. She labels his conduct as “romantic terrorism,” though their dynamic is built on a cycle of eye-rolling and lighthearted barbs. This routine is briefly interrupted when Adam spots another potential interest, Sofia, played by Jessica Henwick. Though Sofia sees through his practiced persona and critiques his dating profile, she nonetheless invites him back to her residence.
The narrative takes a surreal turn after that night. Following a brief smoke, Adam is knocked unconscious and wakes up to find Sofia has disappeared. In the aftermath, the world seems to have shifted around him. While Adam has never lacked attention from women, he now faces a heightened, aggressive level of focus. Women stare at him on public transport, and colleagues react with exaggerated laughter to his mediocre jokes. Even his dog, Alana, appears to be watching him with suspicion. What begins as a convenient surplus of romantic opportunities slowly curdles into an unsettling, sinister reality.
As a “social thriller,” the film manages to balance dark comedy with suspense more effectively than many of its recent peers in the post-Get Out landscape. While it occasionally struggles with the convenience of its plot and a final-act resolution that leans on divisive tropes, it remains a sharper and more mature entry than other recent attempts at the genre. Produced by Margot Robbie’s LuckyChap Entertainment, the film benefits from a grounded, stylish aesthetic set within a realistic depiction of London, distinguishing it from thinner, indie-style approximations.
Egerton’s performance is central to the film’s success. He avoids turning Adam into a caricature, instead presenting a nuanced portrayal of a man who is simultaneously capable of being an ethical, polite date and a cold, dismissive figure. His performance captures the internal frustration of a man who complains that being “nice” is simply too exhausting. Schey’s direction ensures that the film bites back, using its narrative teeth to offer a pointed commentary on contemporary social performativity without ever feeling overly self-serious. The film is currently premiering at the Toronto International Film Festival, with a general release scheduled for a later date. The report also notes that despite telling her he’s “obsessed” mid-thrust and despite making leaf art in her flat white, something is off, but the morning after. The report also notes that and increasingly exhausting, land of the “social thriller”, although wisely with more (genuinely funny) co, there are elements here of last year’s Toronto breakout Obsession but we’re more firmly in the recently familiar. The report also notes that the post-Get Out surge has been far more miss than hit and while this is a smarter and sharper addition (a crude sell would be Get Out meets the viral Shitty Media Men list of 2017), it does still grapple with some recur. The report also notes that the ones who won’t take no for an answer and speak lasciviously about women to their mates, he’s not like those other guys. The report also notes that someone who has recently been finding his footing as an adult actor, whether as more conventional lead of Netflix’s excellent B-movie thriller Carry-On or as the less expected gonzo villain of Netflix’s mid B-movie thriller Apex, he’s played by Taron Egerton. The report also notes that one of which I genuinely don’t think anyone knows exists), he’s able to show just how much more he can do in edgier, stranger territory and how far he’s willing to go without blinking, but freed from streaming shackles (he’s also led two Apple dramas.
