SXSW: ‘The Threesome’ Is Surprisingly Thought-Provoking

Out of all the films to make their debut at SXSW 2025, few have as provocative a title as The Threesome. It seems like it’d be easy to guess what kind of film it is just from the title. Perhaps an erotic thriller or a raunchy comedy. However, director Chad Hartigan (Little Fish) subverts those assumptions with a film that shows the unforeseen realities a casual fling can bring about, handling them with a mature, surprising lens that makes The Threesome something totally unique.

Connor (Jonah Hauer-King) has pined after his ex-coworker Olivia (Zoey Deutch) for as long as he can remember, a mutual feeling between them. Despite that shared interest, they still have yet to make a move on one another. When an alluring stranger, Jenny (Ruby Cruz), catches both of their eyes, Olivia instigates a threesome for the trio. After a wild night of pleasure, Connor starts a relationship with Olivia. As the two start to grow closer, Jenny returns to their lives, revealing an uncomfortable situation that the three will have to navigate.

At the behest of the filmmakers’ intentions to keep a major part of the concept for The Threesome under wraps, I’m not at liberty to reveal exactly what the script by Ethan Ogilby entails for these characters. What can be said, though, is that it’s a wildly original, human film. The Threesome successfully captures the excitement of the tryst.

The flashing lights of a nightclub as a remix of Lykke Li’s “I Follow Rivers” plays gets the heart pumping as the three get closer to one another, and the titular tryst is photographed in a highly sensual, yet still tasteful and balanced, manner by director of photography Sing Howe Yan. The film’s transition from that electric nature to a more subtle, character-driven endeavor comes smoothly.

A talented ensemble highlights the subdued, confident writing in The Threesome. 

That’s due to the efforts of a devoted cast. Hauer-King (The Little Mermaid) does great work as a gentle, perceptive man trying his best to do the right thing, or at least figure out what that is. Zoey Deutch (Zombieland: Double Tap) has been a highly underrated actress for a while, and her turn as Olivia, a woman who in many ways is still on a journey of self-discovery, is a reaffirmation of an underused talent. Cruz (Bottoms) is destined to be a star, as her Jenny oozes charisma from moment one before revealing multitudes underneath that recolor one’s perception of her character from moment to moment. Josh Segarra and Jaboukie Young-White are spectacular in their memorable supporting roles.

What makes The Threesome sing is its ability to subvert expectations. After teasing several directions, Chad Hartigan chooses one of the most difficult to navigate. Because of this, The Threesome reaches a refreshing honesty, one whose drama comes through believable dilemmas and a constant ethos of “wanting to do the right thing.” The Threesome deftly explores the different lived experiences of men and women, the shifting nature of relationships in the modern day, and society’s expectations.

A movie called The Threesome could be just about anything, with most of those things putting titillation first. Chad Hartigan swerves the opposite way. A trio of genuinely gifted actors perfectly conveys a subdued approach and a commendable screenplay, allowing  The Threesome to blaze its trail as an independent feature primed for great conversation.

The Threesome had its world premiere at the 2025 SXSW Film & Television Schedule on March 7, 2025. The film currently has no plans for distribution.