---
title: "Dying for Sex"
year: 2025
kind: "series"
canonical: "https://film.one/tv/dying-for-sex"
fi1m_id: "dying-for-sex"
imdb_id: "tt30252752"
tmdb_id: 241405
wikidata_id: "Q125726745"
fi1m_score: 81
critics_score: 75
critics_reviews: 9
published: "2026-09-12"
updated: "2026-09-15T21:38:44.936611+00:00"
region: "US"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Dying for Sex (2025)

Created by Kim Rosenstock, Elizabeth Meriwether · MPA TV-MA · Drama, Comedy

## Identity

Dying for Sex

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/tv/dying-for-sex
- **Type:** Series
- **Fi1m ID:** dying-for-sex
- **IMDb ID:** tt30252752
- **TMDB ID:** 241405
- **Wikidata ID:** Q125726745
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt30252752/, https://www.themoviedb.org/tv/241405, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q125726745

**Fi1m score: 81** · Critics 75 from 9 reviews

*In a sentence:* All that sexual exploration, and we came away wanting to ring our best friend

> Michelle Williams and Jenny Slate make *Dying for Sex* a funny, tender comedy-drama worth watching. The writing is sometimes too pleased with its frankness, but Molly and Nikki’s friendship gives the terminal-illness story its emotional weight.

## Synopsis

Molly Kochan (Michelle Williams) has terminal cancer and begins a search for sexual pleasure as she faces the prospect of dying. Her close friend Nikki Boyer (Jenny Slate) shares a central place in a story that follows Molly’s erotic discoveries alongside the relationship between the two women. Across eight episodes, the comedy-drama approaches illness through questions about desire, intimacy and the importance of friendship when time is limited. The cast also includes Jay Duplass as Steve, Rob Delaney as Neighbor Guy and Sissy Spacek as Gail.

## Review

*Dying for Sex* is a warm, frank comedy-drama worth watching, although some of its characters deserve more attention. Molly Kochan has terminal cancer and wants to explore sexual pleasure, a premise writers Kim Rosenstock and Elizabeth Meriwether approach with welcome curiosity. They allow her to want something beyond comfort, reconciliation or the chance to reassure everyone around her. Occasionally the series seems rather pleased with its own openness, but Michelle Williams gives Molly enough weight to keep that from becoming the whole point.

Williams makes Molly’s sexual curiosity feel like a recognisable human appetite, even with illness complicating our response to it. The comedy does not require her to become an endlessly game heroine whom we must applaud for every new experience. Kink gets a welcome degree of playfulness, and sex is permitted to be funny without the people seeking it automatically becoming the joke. That matters in a story where the protagonist could easily be reduced to a diagnosis or a lesson in making the most of things.

Jenny Slate’s Nikki Boyer gives the series another person worth caring about, and the ease between the two actors is its chief pleasure. Their friendship carries enough feeling to compete with Molly’s sexual discoveries for our attention, and the series lets it do so. We were moved by the tenderness in Molly and Nikki’s scenes together, because Williams and Slate make their closeness convincing without asking us to admire it. We do not spend those scenes waiting for the sex story to resume.

Directors Shannon Murphy and Chris Teague are strongest when they trust that relationship to hold our attention. Daniel Vecchione’s cinematography serves the intimacy of the performances, keeping the emphasis where it belongs. Michael Bricker’s production design is similarly unobtrusive; the surroundings do not compete with Molly and Nikki for attention. Neither contribution calls for much admiration on its own, but their restraint helps the scenes between Williams and Slate feel comfortable rather than insistently significant.

Editors Jon Philpot, Laura Weinberg, Jon Higgins and Steve Welch have to move between erotic comedy and the knowledge of terminal illness without making either feel like an interruption. For the most part, the changes of tone are easy to follow and give the friendship room to develop. Ariel Marx’s music is most effective in the gentler passages, though the actors remain the reason those passages affect us. The story has eight episodes in which to accommodate its competing interests.

A little more attention to Molly outside her sexual exploration would have made the writing stronger. There are stretches where curiosity about what she might try next takes precedence over curiosity about the rest of her life. Williams compensates for some of that, but the less developed supporting characters cannot all be rescued by performance. The occasional flippant moment also feels like an attempt to hurry us past an uncomfortable feeling before it has been properly considered.

A comedy about terminal illness has to let us laugh without suggesting that laughter has made the illness manageable. Here the approach mostly makes sense: Molly remains capable of curiosity and pleasure, and those things deserve attention without becoming evidence of exceptional courage. Anyone seeking a rounded account of her life may find the emphasis restrictive. We recommend it for Williams and Slate, provided the bluntness about sex is part of the appeal.

*Fi1m score 81, published 12 September 2026.*

## What the critics say

Most critics respond warmly to Dying for Sex, praising its frank treatment of female pleasure and its willingness to find comedy amid terminal illness. The performances draw consistent approval, particularly Michelle Williams and Jenny Slate’s chemistry, while Molly and Nikki’s friendship supplies much of the emotional weight. Praise also centres on the handling of sexual discovery and kink, with several reviews finding warmth and humour where a more conventional cancer drama might settle for solemnity.

The reservations concern how fully the series develops the life surrounding that sexual quest. The Telegraph finds the tone too flippant at times, though it values the tender friendship scenes. The Hollywood Reporter offers the strongest dissent, finding the characters underdeveloped and the treatment of Molly emotionally incurious. The spread is fairly wide rather than unanimous: most reviews credit the balance of comedy and grief, while the less persuaded find that emotional depth wanting.

## Straight answers

**Is Dying for Sex worth watching?**

*Dying for Sex* is worth watching for Michelle Williams and Jenny Slate, whose friendship gives this comedy-drama about terminal illness its feeling, and we scored it 81. The writing is sometimes too pleased with its own frankness, and the supporting characters are thin, but the scenes between the two women are tender and convincing. Come for the friendship, provided the bluntness about sex is part of the appeal.

**How long is Dying for Sex, and what is it rated?**

*Dying for Sex* is rated TV-MA by the MPA in the US. It is a drama and comedy series.

**Where can I watch Dying for Sex in the US?**

*Dying for Sex* is streaming on Hulu and Disney+ in the US. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service.

**How violent or frightening is Dying for Sex, and is it suitable for children?**

*Dying for Sex* is not violent or frightening, but it carries a UK 18 certificate and is not suitable for children. The series follows a woman with terminal cancer exploring sexual pleasure, including kink, and it is blunt about sex throughout. Anyone uncomfortable with frank erotic comedy, or with a story that keeps death in view across eight episodes, should look elsewhere.

**How does Dying for Sex compare to Harold and Maude?**

*Dying for Sex* and [*Harold and Maude*](https://film.one/film/harold-and-maude) both find comedy where sexual discovery meets mortality, and both occasionally seem too pleased with their own disregard for convention. Ashby's film is the odder and more romantic of the two, built around a courtship; the series is warmer and more frank, and rests on a friendship rather than a romance. We recommend the film for its strangeness and the series for Williams and Slate.

**What should I watch after Dying for Sex?**

After *Dying for Sex*, try [*Good Luck to You, Leo Grande*](https://film.one/film/good-luck-to-you-leo-grande) (2022, Fi1m 79): Another frank account of a woman learning to ask for sexual pleasure. Then [*Harold and Maude*](https://film.one/film/harold-and-maude) (1971, Fi1m 81): Sexual discovery and mortality meet in a comedy with little respect for propriety; and [*The Farewell*](https://film.one/film/the-farewell) (2019, Fi1m 84): Illness and family obligation produce awkward comedy without making the sadness smaller.

### Reviews we read (9)

- **The Guardian** (90/100, inferred): The series upends expectations for on-screen sex with its feminist focus on a woman's quest for pleasure amid terminal illness. It singles out the deepening friendship between Molly and Nikki for particular praise as it expands the idea of a soulmate. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2025/apr/04/dying-for-sex-review-michelle-williams-erotic-journey-is-revolutionary-tv)
- **Variety**, Alison Herman (90/100, inferred): It is a superb, defiantly joyful and lewdly hilarious work that honors the real-life story's rejection of typical terminal-illness narratives through candid exploration of sex, friendship and mortality, buoyed by strong performances. [Read](https://variety.com/2025/tv/reviews/dying-for-sex-review-michelle-williams-cancer-1236353744)
- **The Independent** (85/100, inferred): Williams excels in this wise, warm and raunchy comedy that finds new life near death. It singles out the intimate portrayal of Molly's interior life and the gentle comedy for making the series soothing and universal. [Read](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/reviews/michelle-williams-dying-for-sex-disney-b2722576.html)
- **The AV Club**, Tim Lowery (B): The critic praises the show's ability to balance comedy and tragedy in a story about a woman with terminal cancer embarking on sexual exploration, highlighting its buoyant tone, strong performances especially from Michelle Williams and Jenny Slate, and emotional depth without being dismal. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/dying-for-sex-review-fx-tv-hulu)
- **The Times**, Janice Turner (70/100, inferred): The series daringly defies cancer drama clichés by focusing on a woman's sexual quest. It questions whether the story would be celebrated if the protagonist were male. [Read](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/tv-radio/article/dying-for-sex-mobland-landman-tv-review-2j8zljq87)
- **The Telegraph**, Anita Singh (3/5): The drama feels too flippant at times despite strong performances. It singles out the tender friendship scenes between Molly and Nikki as the most moving elements. [Read](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/0/dying-for-sex-review-disney-plus-michelle-williams/)
- **The Hollywood Reporter**, Angie Han (50/100, inferred): The series is an unapologetically horny and open-minded chronicle of a woman's erotic awakening amid terminal illness, but it proves emotionally incurious and fails to develop the characters or Molly beyond her sexual journey. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-reviews/dying-for-sex-review-michelle-williams-jenny-slate-fx-1236173612/)
- **Paste**, Michael Savio (85/100, inferred): Dying for Sex succeeds as a kinky, tonally complex update to the cancer comedy genre that affirms bodily liberation and empowerment. It highlights the show's savvy, whimsical portrayal of kink and sexual discovery as its crowning achievement. [Read](https://www.pastemagazine.com/tv/dying-for-sex/dying-for-sex-puts-a-kink-in-the-cancer-comedy-genre)
- **Collider**, Elisa Guimarães (75/100, inferred): The series is a charming, heartwarming watch about death, friendship, and sex that ultimately rewards viewers despite some flaws. It singles out the effortless chemistry between Michelle Williams and Jenny Slate as a standout element that redefines soulmate relationships. [Read](https://collider.com/dying-for-sex-fx-review/)

## Details

- **Created by:** Kim Rosenstock, Elizabeth Meriwether
- **Creator:** Kim Rosenstock, Elizabeth Meriwether
- **Director:** Shannon Murphy, Chris Teague
- **Writer:** Sabrina Wu, Sasha Stewart, Kim Rosenstock, Elizabeth Meriwether, Madeleine George, Sheila Callaghan, Harris Danow, Keisha Zollar
- **Story:** Kim Rosenstock, Elizabeth Meriwether
- **Teleplay:** Kim Rosenstock
- **Cinematography:** Daniel Vecchione
- **Editor:** Laura Weinberg, Jon Philpot, Jon Higgins, Steve Welch
- **Music:** Ariel Marx
- **Production design:** Michael Bricker
- **Costume design:** Melissa Toth
- **Producer:** Christina M. Fitzgerald, Chris Teague
- **Cast:** Michelle Williams as Molly Kochan; Jenny Slate as Nikki Boyer; Jay Duplass as Steve; Kelvin Yu as Noah; David Rasche as Dr. Pankowitz; Esco Jouléy as Sonya; Rob Delaney as Neighbor Guy; Sissy Spacek as Gail
- **Certificate (MPA):** TV-MA
- **Release (the US):** 4 April 2025
- **Genres:** Drama, Comedy
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wN9-JCGtRMo

## Where to watch in the US

- Hulu: streaming, uhd
- Disney+: streaming, uhd

*Checked 2026-09-12.*

Also available in: AR, AT, AU, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EC, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HK, HR, HU, IE, IS, IT, JP, KR, LT, MX, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PE, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SG, SI, TR, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## If you liked this

- *Good Luck to You, Leo Grande* (2022), Fi1m 79: Another frank account of a woman learning to ask for sexual pleasure. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/good-luck-to-you-leo-grande.md)
- *Gloria* (2013): A woman’s appetite for company and pleasure receives patient, unsentimental attention.
- *Harold and Maude* (1971), Fi1m 81: Sexual discovery and mortality meet in a comedy with little respect for propriety. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/harold-and-maude.md)
- *The Farewell* (2019), Fi1m 84: Illness and family obligation produce awkward comedy without making the sadness smaller. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-farewell.md)
- *Please Like Me* (2013): Sex, friendship and mental illness share space without requiring a solemn introduction.

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/tv/dying-for-sex