Movie Review - The Sex Trip (2016)

Country: United States 

Language: English

Type of story: Magical gender transformation

Sexuality: Doesn’t change

Nudity: Yes.

How I watched it: Free on Tubi, but you can watch it on Amazon Prime too 

When I last watched it: December 28, 2023

My synopsis (spoiler-free): Eddie Greanleaf (Marc Crumpton) wrote a how-to book on getting women to have sex with men. It’s true, he’s a womanizer and practices what he preaches.  While he does book tours and events, he sleeps with various women.  One day he runs into an old homeless woman who calls him out.  She says “kiss me” to prove his attractions are more than skin deep.  He doesn’t.  She’s a witch. She uses her magic to turn him into a woman. Pretending to be his own sister Edna (Jade Ramsey), she must now find this homeless woman and get her to change him back.

The transformation: Once again, the transformation happens while he’s sleeping.  Specifically, it’s during a post-coital nap. He goes to pee, and realizes his penis is missing. Then he checks the mirror and realizes his penis isn’t the only change.  He, now she, doesn’t scream though! After sneaking out of this fling’s place he runs home and calls his best friend. 

Does this Movie pass the Bechdel test? Umm.. maybe? The only time we get two women talking is with Edna and Jess.  The problem is, most of their conversations are about hooking Jess up with a guy. The movie says that Edna falls in love with Jess.  I guess their meaningful conversations must’ve happened off screen.

Ramsey’s Performance & Edna’s Character Arc: At first, her accent broke the suspension of disbelief.  Sure, Eddie (Crumpton) has an accent too, and both Ramsey and Crumpton are British, but they’re different accents!  Accent aside, I thought she did a good job.  Edna’s transformation is subtle. We’re even treated to a dress-up montage! Towards the end of the movie, it looks like she’s comfortable in her new skin. 

Sexuality: Edna is clearly into women, so her sexuality did not change.  Jess at first thinks Edna is hitting on her, only for Edna to back track, “Oh, I’m straight too!” Liar. At the spa, the women doing the girl’s nails comment that Edna is giving off lesbian vibes. Of course, Edna is still clinging to her male gender and thus won’t admit she’s a lesbian, even though she clearly wants Jess. Towards the end of the movie, she did attempt to have pity sex with her best friend Steve (Louis Mandylor), but had her period instead. 

Comparisons to Sam (2015): Both movies have similar setups.  A womanizer is punished and turned into a woman so he can walk a mile in her shoes. Their companion on this journey is their best friend. Together they search for the magic MacGuffin that punished the main character. That’s really where the similarities end.

The lessons the movie is trying to convey: Edna gets to see how Eddie’s teachings affect women.  She attempts to hook Jess up with a guy, Matt (Jim Hanks), whom she met at an adult toy store. At first, Matt seems like a decent and funny guy. But after she introduces Matt and Jess to each other, she recognizes that Matt is just telling Jess what she wants to hear. Then she does some digging and figures out Matt is married.  She tries to warn Jess, but in desperation she confesses that she’s really Eddie.  Naturally Jess doesn’t believe her and ends the friendship.

The Ending: Unlike with Sam, Edna changes back into Eddie when she realizes the key to winning women is love. She writes this epiphany in a book.  When she passes the homeless woman again, the woman has her transform back - but not until she goes to sleep.  She wakes up as Eddie again and doesn’t realize it until he has to pee.

Eddie goes on to write that book he started while he was Edna.  Flashforward to a book signing, and the line is filled with women (instead of loser men, like in the beginning). Eddie's attitude towards women has sincerely changed. Jess is in line and she is ready to forgive him.

Random Notes:

• Jim Hanks.  Not Tom Hanks.  Jim is Tom’s brother. Though they look strikingly similar and have similar voices.

• There’s a cameo by Frank Stallone (Sylvester’s younger brother).

• I bring up those two points because an alternate movie poster listed “Hanks and Stallone” at top billing - thus fooling you into thinking Tom Hanks and Sylvester Stallone were leads in this movie.

• OK, I admit that when I was in my mid-20’s I read The Game: Penetrating the Secret Society of Pickup Artists by Neil Strauss.  Hey, I had low self-esteem and was single! I imagine that series of books was the inspiration for Eddie Greenleaf.  He employs similar tactics in this movie. Such as negging and preying on a woman’s self-esteem.

• I honestly thought the homeless lady/witch’s stick was a bedpost. She was telling Eddie about putting notches on bedposts. The wooden stick in her hand - looked like a bedpost.  She had it again at the end so it really was a magic wand.

• Edna’s first period is played for a gag. Right before having sex with Steve, she runs to the bathroom and screams.  When Steve arrives, there’s blood everywhere!  They call 911.  The next scene is Steve thanking the paramedics for the tampon.

• I think it would’ve been interesting if Eddie had stayed Edna for a little longer.  She showed no signs of dysphoria and appeared to be having fun experimenting with life as a woman. She never attempted to seek out a lesbian. She almost had straight sex, too. 

• I also admit that I dozed off during the “Edna learns to be a woman” montage. I feel like I didn’t miss anything, though.

• When Edna switches back into Eddie, we get a brief scene of Eddie wearing women’s lingerie. And she had nobody over.  I believe most women don’t wear something that sexy to bed by themselves.

Overall: The Sex Trip is not as toxic as Sam, although I prefer Sam’s ending.  But as with many of these movies, there are missed opportunities to explore what it means to be transgender. There’s definitely a missed opportunity to explore Edna as a lesbian - or at least question her sexuality after coming on to Steve.