The short Mom, Dad... I Want To Be A Porn Star plays before the feature Before Sex

Before Sex (Trước Giờ “Yêu”) oscillates between three guy friends (Tung, Ton Kinh Lam, and Nguyễn Lê Việt Hưng) at a bar, with their favorite pastime being people-watching and psychoanalyzing the couples around them. On the other side of the bar, three female friends (Khazsak, Khánh Vân, and Jun Vũ) trade stories and tease one of their own who is always falling for the wrong guys. As the guys gossip, they also reflect on their own romantic misadventures, offering each other a mix of sincere and humorous advice, and wondering what true love entails. The three female friends have their own conversations about love, with two of them trying to boost the other's confidence. As the film progresses, the two sets of friends find themselves romantically intertwined.

Exploring the complexities of young love, friendship, and self-discovery in the characters’ early 20s, Before Sex – co-directed by Michael Thai, Tùng Leo, and Huỳnh Anh Duy – navigates themes of vulnerability; the search for genuine companionship; and the humorous, bewildering, yet sincere attempts to understand relationships. The interplay between the male and female friend groups highlights the shared struggles of navigating love and the awkwardness of finding one's footing in romantic endeavors. Before Sex balances a thematic and tonal tightrope: light-hearted banter with deeper emotional undercurrents, mixing coming-of-age elements with broad humor. The ensemble’s performances add nuance to the film, capturing the messiness of early adulthood with charm, zaniness, and authenticity.

By Alena Nguyen