The Polish Netflix series “Sexify” is a light story about female self-actualization. However, the feminist spirit gets stuck at one point or another.
The first, obvious and for one or the other still shocking realization that one can take away from the Polish Netflix series “Sexify” is: Yes, women like sex too. The eight-part series is a light-hearted, inspiring, sex-positive affair about three students inventing a revolutionary new app. The purpose of their innovative technical creation? Optimize the female orgasm.
Natalia is the best of her year at her university and is determined to win the academic competition for theses. Her project: an app she programmed to optimize sleep. These plans are being overseen by their new academic advisor, Dr. Krynicki, who tells her that she needs something that is “sexy”. He doesn’t mean that in the truest sense of the word, but after the umpteenth night in a row in which Natalia has to listen to her neighbor during sex in the dormitory, she realizes that nothing captures the thoughts of young people more than sex. So she got the idea to optimize the female orgasm with her app instead of sleep.
“Sexify” on Netflix: Everyone has their problems with sexuality
Natalia has not been interested in sex so far, so intensive research is required. She hopes for help from her best friend Paulina, who spends most of the time in her friend Mariusz’s apartment. Unlike Natalia, Paulina has a lot of sex. Unfortunately, it is the kind of sex for which the wonderful expression “Wham-Bam-Thank-You-Ma’am” is used in English-speaking countries. That means, Mariusz skips the foreplay, he doesn’t even touch Paulina, and dutifully goes straight to her. Paulina lies there – unsatisfied as a result – and waits until Mariusz has finished. A hole in the pillow would have done it for him too.
Since Paulina is not that well versed in sex and especially in orgasm, Natalia turns to her dorm neighbor Monika. She has a lot of sex, be it with men she meets by chance during her day or through online platforms. Although she and Natalia do not understand each other immediately, they finally recognize the potential of working together on the app – because Monika also wants to graduate from university. But Monika also has her problems with her sexuality.
“Sexify” on Netflix: Breaking alleged “conventions” is too planned to be groundbreaking
“Sexify” is a story of three women trying to find their way. Monika has a toxic relationship with her ex-boyfriend and problems with her father and mother. Paulina struggles with family claims for her wedding and their intrusive interference in her life. Natalia simply finds sex a difficult matter, which she now has to deal with because of the app. Research is made more difficult, however, by the fact that they need research data for their app, which forces them to allow fellow students to have sex in Natalia’s dormitory (called “corpulatorium”) in return for having them complete a questionnaire about sexual desires and Filling needs.
Streaming and series
More about Netflix and Co. at: fr.de/naechste-sequence
“Sexify” is easy and fun, and celebrates feminine sensuality, liberation and independence. The Netflix series has successful, feminist approaches, but in some places it is stuck and sometimes seems too posed. Breaking alleged “conventions” is too often planned to be considered groundbreaking. For example, the tremendous fear of contact of women in front of a vibrator is told past reality. Paulina has to drink some courage before she uses it.
“Sexify” on Netflix: Feminist spirit seems incomplete
Important topics take place, but are not discussed in depth. For example, when Natalia’s fellow student Rafał gets angry because she doesn’t want to have sex with him. Because, in his opinion, the fact that Natalia has no boyfriend obliges her to have sex with him – because for him there is no other legitimate reason for not wanting to have sex with him. The problem that a woman’s ‘no’ is not enough and is only respected out of consideration for a man that no sex will take place could have been taken up very well here. This is the kind of situation that every woman will encounter at least once in a lifetime.
The same goes for the storyline about Monika’s ex-boyfriend, who stalked her and yelled at her because she didn’t want to open the door for him: “You are behaving like a small child!” The aggressive behavior and this statement are an absolutely red rag . In her life, Monika is surrounded by men who want to control her, and her father does the same. More could have been made of that.
“Sexify” rattles all the obvious topics around sex – masturbation, toys, and porn – without much pretense or judgment and always keeps an optimistic tone. But with the topics that are partially echoed, the series could have been a bit more serious and delved deeper into the problems that affect young women and their sexuality in particular. Unfortunately, the feminist spirit of the series seems incomplete. (Sonja Thomaser)
