Intimacy coordinator uses pain-scale ratings to guide BDSM scenes in Araki's new film

Gregg Araki’s latest erotic thriller employed intimacy coordinator Yehuda Duenyas to manage its extensive BDSM content, marking his first collaboration with the director. Duenyas implemented a numeric pain-scale, asking the actors to rate each strike from zero to ten, allowing Olivia Wilde and Cooper Hoffman to calibrate force and maintain clear communication. Hoffman, who had never performed a sex scene before, admitted the work was frightening but approached it with determination, while Wilde, experienced in nudity, learned she could hit hard while his rating stayed low.

The crew filmed all intimate moments, including a complex threesome on a St. Andrew’s cross, within a compressed five-day schedule, treating the scenes with the same precision as stunt work. The intimacy coordination role, now unionized under SAG-AFTRA, reflects the growing industry standard for safeguarding performers in explicit material. The film aims to spark discussion about contemporary sexual attitudes among younger audiences.