Michelle Williams makes distress feel personal without asking us to applaud the person enduring it. We rate her highly, especially when there is room for the humour and ordinary wants that make Dying for Sex so affecting.
Fi1m perspective
In Dying for Sex (2025), Michelle Williams lets Molly Kochan be curious about sex without making her seem obliged to enjoy every discovery. Molly has terminal cancer, but Williams gives her wants enough weight to keep the diagnosis from explaining everything about her. We find her persuasive because she takes pleasure seriously without making the comedy solemn. The series is worth watching for her, even when its writing seems rather pleased with itself for discussing sex openly.
Her breakthrough as Alma in Brokeback Mountain (2005) led into a sustained commitment to independent drama, including four films with director Kelly Reichardt. The troubled women of Blue Valentine (2010) and Manchester by the Sea (2016) suit her ability to suggest strong feelings held under pressure. Playing Marilyn Monroe in My Week with Marilyn (2011) and Gwen Verdon in Fosse/Verdon (2019) has also required a more heightened style. Restraint matters in her work, but treating it as her only virtue would mean overlooking a substantial part of what she attempts.
The quieter approach works particularly well with Jenny Slate as Nikki Boyer, Molly's friend in Dying for Sex. We were moved by their scenes together because their affection feels easy, with neither actor asking us to admire the friendship. Directors Shannon Murphy and Chris Teague get the most from Williams when they let those scenes hold our attention. Cinematographer Daniel Vecchione keeps the emphasis on the performers, while production designer Michael Bricker gives them surroundings that do not compete. Their unobtrusive work helps us settle into Molly and Nikki's company without waiting for the sexual adventures to resume.
There are limits to what this sort of performance can repair. Writers Kim Rosenstock and Elizabeth Meriwether give Molly welcome freedom to want things, but some supporting characters remain short of attention. Williams makes Molly convincing without solving that problem, and the friendship is as interesting as the sexual discoveries around it. We would welcome more comedy that lets her take pleasure this seriously.
Biography
Michelle Ingrid Williams is an American actress. Born on 9 September 1980 in Kalispell, Montana, she began her career with guest television appearances and made her film debut in the family film Lassie (1994). She gained recognition for her role as Jen Lindley in the series Dawson's Creek (1998–2003).
Williams received acclaim for independent films including Brokeback Mountain (2005), Blue Valentine (2010), Manchester by the Sea (2016) and The Fabelmans (2022). She has also appeared in higher-profile releases such as Shutter Island (2010), The Greatest Showman (2017), the Venom films (2018, 2021) and Oz the Great and Powerful (2013). In 2025 she starred as Molly Kochan in the series Dying for Sex.
Her awards include three Golden Globe Awards, for My Week with Marilyn (2011), Fosse/Verdon (2019) and Dying for Sex (2025), and a Primetime Emmy Award for Fosse/Verdon.
