Good Kisser Movie Review

『Desire, Anxiety, and the Raw Truth of a Triangle Relationship』

🎥 Movie Overview

🎬 Title: Good Kisser (2019)
🌍 Country: 🇺🇸 USA
🎞️ Genre: Drama / Romance / Queer
⏳ Runtime: About 60 minutes
📢 Director & Screenwriter: Wendy Jo Carlton
📺 Platform: Screened at Independent and Queer Film Festivals

👩‍💼 Cast: Kari Alison Hodge – Jenna
Rachel Paulson – Kate
Julia Eringer – Mia

🧩 In-Depth Story Exploration (Spoilers)

💋 Cracks in the Relationship and Self-Discovery

《Good Kisser》 tells the story of a long-term lesbian couple, Jenna and Kate, who decide to reignite their relationship by inviting the alluring Mia for a one-night threesome. Set almost entirely within Mia’s Airbnb, this intimate chamber piece unfolds through limited space, charged dialogue, and subtle glances, exposing the trio’s underlying insecurities, desires, and fractures.

Rather than being merely titillating, the film uses the idea of an open relationship to explore universal relational issues—communication breakdown and self-deception. Beneath the surface, it questions how far people will go to avoid confronting emotional truth.

🧭 The Dynamics of Three

The heart of the film lies in the shifting emotional and power dynamics between the three women.

💦 Jenna: The Voice of Anxiety and Honesty

Jenna is the most vulnerable and introspective of the three. She hesitates about opening up the relationship but agrees out of a desire to please Kate.

• Role: Jenna represents the viewer’s emotional lens. Her raw discomfort and honesty reveal that their “adventure” may be thrilling on the surface but is no cure for the underlying emotional rift.
• Growth: Through intimate and intellectual exchanges with Mia, Jenna begins to recognize her own suppressed desires and identity within her relationship with Kate. Her journey evolves from sacrifice for love to self-respect and awakening.

💧 Kate: The Embodiment of Desire and Control

Kate initiates the encounter, appearing confident and worldly. She values stimulation and control, yet her true motives are more complicated.

• True Motivation: As the night unfolds, it becomes clear that her intention is not pure thrill but an attempt to cover her dissatisfaction and boredom in the relationship—and perhaps unresolved feelings for Mia.
• Power Play: Kate constantly tries to manipulate the emotional balance between Jenna and Mia, asserting dominance, only to end up facing the deepest loss.

🧊 Mia: The Enigmatic Catalyst

Mia is the stone thrown into still water. She is not a mere object of desire but a mirror reflecting the couple’s hidden tensions.

• Traits: Intelligent, free-spirited, and emotionally grounded, Mia exudes calm allure. She provokes jealousy in Kate and liberation in Jenna.
• Revelation: As a detached observer, she becomes the catalyst who exposes unspoken truths between Jenna and Kate. The night of “adventure” turns into the trigger for collapse rather than renewal.

🎞️ Theatrical Structure and Tense Dialogue

The film plays almost like a stage drama, confined to one setting and driven by intense dialogue. Discussions about safe words, boundaries, and past relationships build palpable tension, emphasizing that their downfall stems from emotional miscommunication rather than sexual exploration.

👩‍❤️‍💋‍👩 Breaking Free from “Lesbian Film” Clichés

《Good Kisser》 challenges the clichés often imposed by the male gaze in queer cinema. Instead of focusing on eroticism, it highlights emotional shifts and power exchanges. Even in scenes involving kisses or ice cream play, the emphasis lies not on sensuality but on emotional reaction and power transition.

🌊 Liberation Through Loss

The film offers no neat resolution or happy ending. The threesome, initially intended to strengthen their bond, only exposes deeper fractures and leads to the breakup of Jenna and Kate.

Yet, the breakup signifies a beginning rather than an end—a moment of freedom for Jenna, liberated from repression and self-deception. 《Good Kisser》 asks how much of ourselves we sacrifice to sustain relationships. Sometimes the sweetest kiss foreshadows the bitterest goodbye, turning a sexual experiment into a profound journey of self-discovery.

🎯 Personal Rating (Subjective)

💕 Love Scene Intensity: ♥♥
⭐ Rating: ★★★☆