Olivia Wilde‘s newest theatrical release, I Want Your Sex, has struggled to find an audience despite earning solid reviews from critics. The numbers tell a very different story from The Invite, another Wilde-led relationship thriller that steadily built momentum at the global box office.
Unlike The Invite, I Want Your Sex gets totally pummeled at box office
Olivia Wilde returned to provocative territory with I Want Your Sex, but this time ticket buyers largely stayed away. As per Box Office Mojo, the erotic thriller has earned about $600,000 worldwide, a disappointing total even after accounting for its limited launch in roughly 700 theaters.
Its R rating appears to have limited its audience, while a modest marketing push meant many moviegoers barely knew it existed. The film also faced fierce competition from major releases, including Spider-Man 4, The Odyssey, Minions & Monsters, Moana and The Invite. On top of that, it opened in just 700 theaters, far fewer than Spider-Man 4‘s nearly 4,500-screen rollout.
Helmed by Gregg Araki, I Want Your Sex follows Elliot, a young aspiring artist whose life changes after he lands a job working for the famous and controversial artist Erika Tracy. What begins as a dream opportunity takes an unexpected turn when Erika chooses Elliot to be her latest sexual muse, drawing him into her provocative creative world.
The contrast becomes even sharper when placed beside The Invite. That relationship thriller continued playing in 792 theaters during its fourth weekend after a wide release and eventually reached $38.49 million worldwide.
Its weekly grosses climbed from $379,104 in its opening frame to $704,601 in week two before jumping to $5.93 million in its third weekend. It later added $3.53 million, $2.64 million, and $1.24 million across the following weeks (via Box Office Mojo). The Invite also received a 7.9/10 IMDb rating and a 97% Rotten Tomatoes critics score.
While audiences skipped theaters, critics viewed I Want Your Sex more favorably. The film currently holds an 89% Rotten Tomatoes critics score, though its 60% Popcornmeter suggests moviegoers responded with more mixed reactions. The cast includes Cooper Hoffman, Olivia Wilde, Mason Gooding, Chase Sui Wonders, Daveed Diggs, Charli XCX, and more.