Jenna Ortega is back on our screens, and this time it's in new movie Miller's Girl, a dark comedy, where she stars alongside Martin Freeman, as a student who develops a *very* complicated relationship with her teacher, after a creative assignment. But why is everyone talking about the sex scenes?
If you haven't heard of the movie yet, Ortega, 21, stars as 18-year-old student Cairo Sweet, who begins a relationship with her teacher Jonathan Miller, played by Martin Freeman, 52, after she writes a sex story for a creative writing assignment.
The movie was showing in cinemas in the US in January earlier this year and is now available to purchase in the UK on Prime Video. The trailer is eerily dramatic, with frequent shots of Cairo and Jonathan looking at each other intensely, along with plenty of dark moody rain shots and the odd insect creeping around.
And since the release of the movie in the US, many of Jenna Ortega's fans have taken to social media to express their "shock" of a sex scene between the two lead characters, with many pointing out the age gap (31 years) between the two lead actors.
With one person writing on X (formerly known as Twitter): "Jenna Ortega and Martin Freeman… I’m uncomfortable". While another said: "This Jenna Ortega/Martin Freeman film is so gross! So, so, so, so gross!”
And now Martin Freeman has defended the controversial scenes, calling the movie "nuanced and grownup", while speaking to The Times and explaining,"It’s not saying, ‘Isn’t this great'."
He continued, saying movies covering difficult subjects, are often tainted by association, adding: “And that’s a shame. Are we gonna have a go at Liam Neeson for being in a film about the Holocaust?”
The intimacy co-ordinator on Miller's Girl has also defended the movie's controversial scenes, saying Ortega was involved in all aspects of the creation of the scenes.
Speaking to the Mail Online, Kristina Arjona said: "There was many, many people throughout this process, engaging with [Jenna] to make sure that it was consistent with what she was comfortable with, and she was very determined and very sure of what she wanted to do.
"Part of my job too is supporting her decisions. I adapt to whatever is the comfort level of my actors, especially on a production like this where there is a large age gap between the actors," she continued. "I'm hyper aware of both of my talent and making sure that we're consistently checking in and that at no point are any of their boundaries being surpassed. And again, making sure - especially with someone who's significantly younger - that they are giving continuous consent."
Arjona also revealed the production team had test audiences to gauge the public opinion on what would be "too much" for the sex scenes.
Jenna, who has been acting since 2012 and is perhaps most well known for her role as Wednesday Addams on Netflix's Wednesday, spoke about taking on the project and saying explained how "taken aback" she was by the experience of Cairo.
During a Q+A session for the movie, she explained: "I remember receiving the script being on set in Montreal and it was just this side email and then I open up to find this horrific and beautiful, this romantic horror. This horrific story romanticised.
"I remember being so taken aback by Cairo because what I have experienced in my career and I think a lot of young girls can say the same," she continued. "I feel like teenage girls are often written in the same bratty, no nonsense manner but Cairo is so intelligent and wise beyond her years that I was excited to be able to explore."
Miller's Girl is available to purchase on Prime Video now
