Modern-day dating, particularly in large cities, is nothing short of a minefield. The original scam of catfishing seems so far removed from today’s day and age, with things having developed much further and the deception becoming even more elaborate. In Jonathan Schey’s sharply named feature-length bow, “Everybody Wants to F*ck Me,” he cleverly deconstructs the so-called “nice guy” persona and its corrosive effect on modern dating in a darkly comedic way. There’s enough shock and awe along the way to leave a lasting imprint on your brain long after the final credits roll.
“Everybody Wants to F*ck Me” follows Adam (Taron Egerton), a serial womanizer who regularly love bombs his dates, utilizing his charming persona to lure unsuspecting women into one-night stands before dropping them like a rock in the ocean. There are no two ways about it, he’s an asshole, but what’s worse is that he’s proud of it and always on the lookout for his next conquest.
Tearing Down the Nice Guy Persona
That is until one night when he meets Sophia (Jessica Henwick). Adam, of course, thinks he’s in for a night of passion, but unfortunately for him, he gets more than he bargained for. When he wakes up the next morning, all is not as it seems, as she appears to have put a curse on him that makes every woman want him. It sounds like the perfect situation for Adam, but it quickly becomes apparent there’s something far more sinister going on than initially meets the eye.
Schey’s screenplay brilliantly tears apart the performative nice-guy persona Adam has relied on for so long. While it’s done in a humorous fashion, there are some genuinely pertinent messages underneath those surface-level jokes that audiences can take away, although you are forced to look a little deeper than you perhaps should have been. At times, the film’s determination to push its premise to increasingly absurd places threatens to overshadow the very commentary it is trying to make, but that message is always bubbling away underneath.
It feels especially relatable to younger generations who have only really known the swipe-left, swipe-right kind of dating. Many of them have been victims of emotional coercion through endless love bombing and narcissistic behavior, all of which is rife in the contemporary dating pool on display throughout. By exaggerating those behaviors to their most ridiculous extremes, Schey manages to make them funny without completely losing sight of how damaging they can actually be.
Schey Fully Commits to His Premise
The film definitely feels like a comedy first and thriller second, and for the most part that’s to its advantage. Those humorous elements feel distinctly British, as you’d expect given the cast and crew involved, so the jibes are very much on the nose. It’s the sort of dry, sharp, biting humor that can either make you wince in your chair or leave you with a pain in your stomach from laughing so hard. It’s no different here, with plenty of big swings, the majority of which are knocked out of the park, although a few inevitably fall by the wayside.
To Schey’s credit, whether everything lands with audiences or not, he can’t be accused of failing to fully commit to the absurd nature of the premise. He has managed to pack in two of the most outrageous scenes in recent memory, both of which had an audience over a thousand strong audibly gasping at the filmmaker’s audacity. The film isn’t afraid to be uncomfortable or take risks, and in that regard it’s like watching a train wreck in slow motion. As much as you want to take your eyes off it, for some reason you just can’t.
The Tone Can Prove Divisive
There’s also something haunting about the script being flipped and turning a man into the prey rather than the predator. Going for a more horror-based angle alongside the satire is a stroke of genius. Rather surprisingly, the film provides some of the most effective jump scares I’ve seen in a while, the kind that out-and-out horror movies would dream of achieving. More importantly, that reversal gives the film an uncomfortable edge beneath all the absurdity, forcing Adam into a position where the attention he once relentlessly pursued becomes something he can no longer control.
For all that is good about “Everybody Wants to F*ck Me,” it admittedly treads a fine line between being funny and outright cringe, sometimes for the wrong reasons. For me, it just about stays on the right side of that divide, only really blurring it a couple of times, and given the gambles it takes, that feels worthy of applause. However, it’s very easy to imagine others feeling the complete opposite and becoming completely lost along the way, with the tone almost certainly going to prove divisive. In some ways, that feels like an inevitable consequence of a film so determined to push its central joke as far as it possibly can.
Egerton and Henwick are Commanding
One thing is for sure though, Taron Egerton is at the top of his game. He’s an actor who appeared destined for greatness after the “Kingsman” series and “Rocketman,” yet his career trajectory since hasn’t quite matched what those performances seemed to promise. That’s made all the more baffling when he shows time and again just how versatile his range is. Here, his comic timing, natural charisma and sheer commitment to the role are easily the highlight, with several of the movie’s most unforgettable sequences engraved in your brain largely because of his performance.
Egerton is, of course, supported by some incredibly talented women who make the absolute most of their screen time. Of note, Jessica Henwick is a commanding presence, delivering some sly and cutting lines that strike right at the core of Adam’s behavior. Charly Clive, as Adam’s longtime best friend and somewhat of an enabler, is also a standout, bringing a stern and assured presence that provides just enough for him to realize how abhorrent his behavior has been.
Unapologetically Outrageous
Undeniably flawed in places and guaranteed not to be for everyone, don’t be surprised to see a broad spectrum when it comes to the initial reception for “Everybody Wants to F*ck Me.” Yet despite those shortcomings, there are enough genuine laughs and heart at the core of the story to make it a worthwhile trip. That, coupled with yet another stellar performance from Egerton, ensures “Everybody Wants to F*ck Me” is a wildly entertaining and unapologetically outrageous ride that, for better or worse, you’re unlikely to forget anytime soon.
“Everyone Wants to F*ck Me” had its world premiere at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival on September 11th. Follow us for more coverage.
