⭐ 3 out of 5 stars
It's not often anymore that you enter a crowded movie theater. Nevertheless, that's what greeted us when we entered the second auditorium of Nordisk Film's cinemas in Aalborg. An entire hall filled with young people aged 12 and up.
We were going to see the Norwegian animated film Spermageddon, which with a mix of humor, music and a surprisingly absurd premise tries to combine sex education and entertainment. Spermageddon (2024), directed by Tommy Wirkola and Rasmus A. Sivertsen, is an ambitious attempt to de-tabulate sex and contraception. With a narrative style reminiscent of a mix of Pixar and adult animation, the movie takes us on an epic journey from the perspective of sperm. But while Spermageddon has many good intentions and strong messages, it also falls into some problematic traps.
The movie shows several different types of contraception and the effects they have. The main character Lisa uses a condom when she is with Jens. She then uses spermicidal cream and the next day she takes an abortion pill.
One of the more problematic elements of the movie is that despite using three different methods of contraception - condom, spermicide and the morning-after pill - Lisa still ends up pregnant. This creates a false perception of the effectiveness of contraception and can contribute to unnecessary concern and misinformation among young viewers.
In addition, there is an absurd detail where the movie shows that the effectiveness of the morning-after pill is negated because Lisa falls and rolls down a hill. This may falsely signal that a physical fall can cancel the effects of the morning-after pill, which is obviously misleading. The pills affect hormone balance and do not work by creating a physical blockage in the fallopian tube.
The film's message around abortion is one of its stronger elements. It shows how Lisa is faced with a difficult decision and emphasizes that abortion is not an easy solution, but a necessary choice for those who are not ready for parenthood. The film also shows Jens accompanying Lisa to the doctor to talk about abortion, and he supports her "all the way." At the same time, the movie highlights the right to control your own body with a clear message: If you're not ready, you're not ready!
The film also does a great job of illustrating the fertilization process itself. The audience follows sperm Simen and his friend Cumilla on an action-packed journey towards the egg, showing how incredibly small the chance is for a single sperm cell to reach its destination. Along the way, they must battle the villain Jizzmo, who tries to thwart the other sperm's journey. The story balances an adventurous plot with humorous side stories - including a quirky reference to the Olsen Gang, where the sperm cells plan their "coup" to penetrate the egg membrane.
Despite some unfortunate angles, the film manages to give a broad insight into contraception and emphasizes the importance of safe sex in an accessible and entertaining way.
On the positive side, the movie makes a conscious effort to be inclusive. It stars a dark girl and shows different body types, which is refreshing.
It also does a good job of referencing young people's exposure to porn and their experimentation with dirty talk. The influence of porn is caricatured in the film through, for example, attempts at dirty talk and shows how reality doesn't always match what happens in the world of porn. The film does a great job of portraying the negative influence of porn and at the same time instills hope and confidence that young people can actually navigate it and see the difference.
Another example of the influence of porn in the movie is when Lisa initiates doggy style and mentions that she has seen it in a porn movie. This is a nice nuance of how porn can also serve as a source of inspiration to experiment and explore new things. The film balances this duality nicely by both criticizing porn's role in shaping young people's understanding of sex while illustrating how it can also be used to expand their sexual horizons.
But when it comes to sexuality, Spermageddon disappoints. She gives him a blowjob, but he doesn't reciprocate with oral sex. The intercourse is one-sided and unfortunately, it reflects porn-based notions of sex with the focus on male pleasure.
From a female perspective, it's unfortunate to see that the movie once again reproduces the stereotype that a woman's orgasm comes from penetration as long as the man works for it.
Studies show that only 25% of women can actually orgasm this way, while the vast majority need clitoral stimulation, which the movie completely fails to address. This is a missed opportunity to create a more nuanced and realistic portrayal of women's sexuality, and contributes to performance pressure for men and shame and wrongness for women when they fail to achieve orgasm through penetration and often end up faking it to keep the "good vibe" in the relationship.
Another misstep is its misrepresentation of anal sex. In one scene, the characters have anal sex, but without any kind of habituation or signs of discomfort. She doesn't react in the slightest when he inadvertently penetrates the wrong hole. He doesn't notice and she accepts it without hesitation. It's positive that the movie breaks yet another taboo by including anal sex, but too bad it's not portrayed more realistically. It would also have been more optimal if it was clear that you can't get pregnant through anal sex.
The movie portrays the importance of being aware of the human anatomy, but at the cost of outright misinformation, where Lisa gets pregnant from the ejaculate that Jens has during anal sex. This is not only factually incorrect, but may also cause unnecessary concern for young viewers.
The film portrays an absurd biological route where the sperm would supposedly travel up through the intestine, pass through the stomach, continue into the bladder and then out through the urethra, before crawling up the vagina and fertilizing the egg. This is not only scientifically impossible, but gives a highly misleading picture of how pregnancy occurs. It's one thing to use humor and exaggeration, but when the film is also trying to educate, spreading myths rather than facts is problematic.
Despite its flaws, Spermageddon is entertaining and full of funny moments that can act as an icebreaker for young people to talk about sex, contraception and expectations of sexuality. It removes taboos and creates a framework for important conversations.
As the subject is taboo, it's a balancing act whether young people should bring their parents to see it. It's a movie that's ideal for conversations among friends, where they can freely discuss the messages and misunderstandings it brings up - not a movie you necessarily want to have an awkward conversation about in the car on the way home with mom and dad. As parents, you can choose to simply address the misinformation we've mentioned in this review when they get home, or if you want to watch the movie with your teenager, let them bring a few friends along so they have each other to discuss the things that don't stand up to mom and dad's gaze.
Spermageddon is a movie with a strong purpose and a fun premise. It conveys important topics about contraception, fertilization and sex in an accessible way, but falls into several traps that weaken its educational value. It gets in its own way by reproducing stereotypical sex scenes and perpetuating myths that could have been avoided with a more updated and nuanced approach to sex education.
3 out of 5 stars - a movie with potential, but also room for improvement.
