The word on the street (and in the news, and the movies) is that younger men are increasingly interested in older women. This complex — and potentially liberating — dynamic proves fertile ground for pioneering indie auteur Gregg Araki with “I Want Your Sex,” his first feature in 12 years. This silly-sexy slice of pop-noir art world satire serves as Araki’s manifesto about the power and creative energy of the erotic, and it just might be the hottest, and most refreshingly honest, rom-com of the summer (replete with blooper reel).

Written by Araki and Karley Sciortino, “I Want Your Sex” tackles the subject of workplace sexual harassment in the same way most films in the post-Me Too canon do, by flipping genders. With a knowing wink at the “woke police,” Araki and Sciortino dive headlong into the titillating possibilities that come with the territory of this setting and these players, without minimizing the risk or the real consequences, instead mining that for dramatic effect.

The young, naive assistant Elliot is played by unlikely ingenue Cooper Hoffman, perpetually bedhead-ed and deeply winning in this go-for-broke performance. His screen partner is Olivia Wilde, playing outré “neo-pop artist” Erika Tracy, and the lady is a vamp. As his boss, she spots her prey early, sinks her fangs into him, and doesn’t let go. But don’t worry about Elliot, he’s exactly where he wants to be. Their affair becomes a space of both exploitation and liberation, which he walks into with clear eyes and a full heart.

Araki is a filmmaker who truly knows how to utilize Wilde, with her otherworldly feline beauty and simmering mean girl energy. A dom is the perfect role for her, and here, she’s funny, charming, intimidating and utterly impenetrable, literally. She promises from the outset to shake up this Gen Z boy’s sex life, which is sorely lacking in his relationship with high-achieving, seemingly uninterested med student Minerva (Charli XCX, playing nerd). No wonder Elliot tumbles nose over tail for his formidable boss.

Despite its flirtations with danger, “I Want Your Sex” is not quite an erotic thriller. With a bright and candy-colored palette, it’s more of a sex farce that knowingly plays with genre. The narrative structure is classic noir, with its nested flashbacks, mysterious dead body and unreliable narrator recounting a sordid tale to a pair of police officers (Margaret Cho and Johnny Knoxville). But the humor, heart and sizzling chemistry between the leads is all rom-com.

The film becomes a pulpit for Araki to preach a little. In all of her wild, wanton, and yes, problematic glory, Erika serves as the mouthpiece for Araki and Sciortino’s message to Gen Z, which is to have some sex already. The kids could stand to be a little more kinky, a little more queer, to get out of their heads and into their bodies. “Your time is now, kids, get it while you can,” Erika warns Elliot (though there doesn’t seem to be any age that Erika wouldn’t be getting it herself).

Back when he was a part of forging the New Queer Cinema movement in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, Araki had his finger on America’s sexual pulse, and he still does. His “Teenage Apocalypse” trilogy might have sexually scrambled the millennial brain, and with this latest film, Araki once again dares the younger generations to learn the language of sex, not just performing the words, but inhabiting the erotic, understanding it. They might just find a little relief, or a little clarity about themselves and others, even when it’s awkward, strange, or even dangerous.

“I Want Your Sex” is also a chance for Araki to pontificate about art. Erika’s work might be exploitative, shocking, even bad. “What’s the difference between this and pornography?” Elliot’s roommate Apple (Chase Sui Wonders) asks. “Lighting and context,” he replies. Through Erika, Araki dares us to reconsider art that toys with bad taste, and the daring candor to be found within. “Art connects us to the core emotions that make us human,” Erika lectures Elliot. But in the economic extremity of this world, artists are worth more dead than they are alive.

Whether it’s art, sex or the creative energy that can manifest from the synergy between the two, what Araki asserts in this fizzy, flirty freak-fest is that the reward — and the potential for personal growth — is always worth the risk, even, or especially, if it’s messy, deviant or strange.

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'I WANT YOUR SEX'

3.5 stars (out of 4)

MPA rating: R (for strong sexual content, graphic nudity, and pervasive language)

Running time: 1:30

How to watch: In theaters July 31

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