In this interview conducted for the Herald, I chat to Blockers director Kay Cannon and star Ike Barinholtz about the film’s attempts to wrest the teen sex comedy narrative from the sticky hands of teenage dudes.  

Since time immemorial, the teenage sex comedy has been told from the perspective of horny young men. The likes of Porky’s, Risky Business, Revenge of the Nerds all the way through to American Pie and even Superbad—all existed to explore male desire.

In the rare cases where the female perspective has been presented, it’s generally argued that chasteness is the only viable path for any teenager who wants to consider herself virtuous.

The new film Blockers seeks to combat that prevailing trend by acknowledging that teenage girls are sexual creatures with wants and desires of their own. The film’s director, Kay Cannon, tells TimeOut that was the driving force behind her accepting the job.