"I just wanted to feel desired again," says Lucero (Ludwika Paleta), a lawyer who begins an affair with a swimming coach named Matías (Óscar Casas). Lucero has been "happily" married to Fernando (José María Yazpik) for twenty years and has two children: Julián (Matías Coronado) and Viviana (Pilar Pascual). The latter, who is also a swimmer, begins to feel attracted to Matías. In one scene, she drops her towel and kisses the coach.
Matías, of course, immediately rejects her advances because he is intoxicated by the intense sex he is having with Lucero—a state of extreme arousal he mistakes for love due to, well, hormones. Lucero, however, is very clear about the nature of her relationship with him: it is simply fun, casual sex. She wouldn't have embarked on this illicit affair if Fernando had possessed the libido of a teenager. During the couple's anniversary party, guests ask them the secret to a happy marriage. Ultimately, *Desire* reveals that the answer is good, passionate, and frequent sex. Sex keeps the marriage healthy and fulfilling for years.
Director: Teresa Simone
Writers: Giulia Cardamone, Vanessa Miklos
Stars: Ludwika Paleta, José María Yazpik, Óscar Casas
That is, in essence, what director Teresa Simone wants to convey through *Desire* (original title: *Deseo*). Let your hormones run wild, shake up the bed, and revel in pleasurable, orgasmic sensations. Here’s to that. Even so, by turning Matías into yet another obsessive, borderline unhinged villain, *Desire* undermines its own message by punishing Lucero for sleeping with someone young and physically attractive. Why do these erotic thrillers recycle this cliché? Why can't two people simply make love? In *Desire*, however, no one is seriously harmed by Lucero's sexual escapades. + for those interested: it is Fernando who brings Matías into the picture to satisfy his wife's "intimate desires."
What’s more, she doesn't seem to care much about them enjoying themselves together. Even so, either Simone lacks the creativity to imagine how such an affair might naturally unfold (leading her to turn Matias into an unhinged blackmailer), or she wants to convey the conservative idea that extramarital sex is a sin—even when your sex life has stalled or your partner has grown bored of you after so many years together.
Or maybe it’s just me. I don’t get why sex is made into such a big deal. It’s perfectly natural, isn’t it? That’s why I don’t understand why movies like *Desire* make a mountain out of a molehill. They’re basically soft-core porn flicks packed with third-rate drama just to distinguish themselves from actual soft-core porn (hehe, I’m not really complaining, though). Most viewers will watch the movie for one reason only, and I assume they’ll be... satisfied. But I wanted Simone to be bolder and create a version of *Desire* where Lucero and Fernando commit murder to spice up their sex life.
That idea is strongly hinted at in the finale. Yet, Simone never capitalizes on it. I’m not even sure she notices it. Netflix is already saturated with mediocre or terrible erotic thrillers; why not make something wildly unhinged, strange, and crazy? *Desire* is Simone’s directorial debut. Why not burst onto the scene with exceptional taste and sensibility? But sadly, for a movie titled *Desire*, it undoubtedly leaves you cold and unsatisfied. Hey, at least Lucero’s sex life gets reignited. At least someone ends up in a state of ecstasy.
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