Review: ‘Planet Sex with Cara Delevingne’ Falls Short

Somewhere between the categories of soft porn, “Sex Education,” and health documentary lies a new Hulu series titled “Planet Sex with Cara Delevingne.” Billed as a docuseries, the show attempts to explore various facets of the human sexual experience from both clinical and cultural perspectives, but ultimately is only focused around the actress and model Cara Delevingne, who shares personal anecdotes and insights throughout the series. With a hand in the conceptualization and production of the show, Delevingne is truly at the heart of the work in ways that are both helpful and harmful.

The show’s scope is broader than it is deep, but it certainly touches on some wonderful topics. One is the show’s focus on pleasure and play in the sexual space, which is rounded out in an episode about the orgasm gap. Delevingne steps out of frame for a moment to allow Doctor Sura and the team at Mauj, a company dedicated to female pleasure — from its creation of a sex toy to its being a platform for women’s stories — to discuss their mission. Dr. Sura notes that stories of pleasure aren’t as easily and readily available in public discourse as stories of pain are in many Arab countries, and hopes that her work can have a positive influence.

But even as Delevingne does her best to be honest and aware of her privilege and to mitigate her role in the show, there is still a sense of inconstancy and continual tension that comes from her involvement. One of the wonderful things about the show is how it serves as a platform for a wide range of queer activists, doctors, artists, teachers, and thinkers all around the world. From sexologists and neurologists, to artists like Rokudenashiko, a sculptor from Japan, and The Darvish, a performance artist and community event organizer, space is made for a diverse set of voices and perspectives. However, with Delevingne as host and explorer, it still often feels as though the show is ultimately still centered around the perspective of a white, cis, and conventionally beautiful woman.

The show keeps things entertaining with a light, playful tone even as it handles deeply intimate subjects, though this perhaps prevents the conversation from diving deeply into any particular subject in a more meaningful way. Rolling Stone mentions the lack of discussion of sex work — and certainly the show steers clear of more controversial or complicated topics. But perhaps that’s not the point of this show. After all, talking about sex more in general can’t be a bad thing. And given the woeful state of sex education in the US, a show like this, which doesn’t go too deep but has an impressive breadth and sweep of topics in an approachable, accessible format, is doing no harm.

Overall, the show might be a laid back watch for the casual viewer (though they must be a big Cara Delevingne fan to truly enjoy), and certainly the introduction of more works that discuss sex in a positive and normalizing manner are a good thing. Delevingne’s charm and impish naivete are an accessible and fun introduction to sex education, but viewers looking for anything deeper will need to go elsewhere.

— Staff Writer Sara Komatsu can be reached at sara.komatsu@thecrimson.com.