The Path to Forgiveness

Nineteen-year-old Hayley (Cadence Lux) is on top of the world. She and her girlfriend Jordan (Kira Noir) couldn’t be more in love, and the whole world seems bursting with exciting opportunities for them. But when her mother (seemingly with Jordan’s approval), delivers Hayley to a conversion therapy clinic, her world is turned upside down. Mother Sarah Reynolds (Joanna Angel) runs the facility with an iron finger and the other “patients” are either despondent and hopeless, or inconceivably receptive to the program. Can Hayley survive this hell, or will she lose her soul to the fanatical followers of a god who deems her very existence a sin?

Whitney Wright continues to write and direct strong lesbian erotica features and her latest work for the MissaX offshoot studio All Her Luv is a poignant, harrowing and sobering look at the fiery outcome when lesbianism collides with traditional, Christian values. Porn features have tackled religious themes in the past but I’ve never seen one engage with the powder keg that is homosexual conversion therapy. To her credit, Whitney Wright charges into the issue at full bore, bringing her very impressive cast along with her for an erotic ride that will remind audiences that porn can be just as critical of real-life as mainstream movies.

I want to take a moment to applaud whoever was responsible for the musical theme of the film. The song is so versatile and changes the tone of the story depending on the accompanying onscreen action. It can either be quite calming or extremely foreboding. Great musical choice. I also want to take a moment to congratulate Cadence Lux and Joanna Angel on a great performance. This movie stands up on their backs, and together, the two of them inject excruciating life into their characters. Audiences are going to find themselves emotionally drained and raw after watching this. Also, we get two Whitney Wright cameos, both accompanied by a shocking visual!

All the sex in this movie carries extra weight because of the story being told. When Mother Lauren (Serena Blair) and her secret lover Christina (Scarlett Sage) give in to their passion for each other on a couch in the common area, there’s an intensity that the audience can feel because of the overall story. Even though it’s late in the night, the couple is still taking an incredible risk making love in the high traffic and open space. Having already been introduced to the megalomaniacal Mother Sarah, the prospect of the two lovers getting caught lords heavily over the sex and creates a sensation where the audience wants to see the two women succumb to their carnal desires, but also begs them to be quiet and discreet. It’s an effect that is repeated throughout the film with great effectiveness.

The scissor is especially arousing, with the camera capturing a very arousing angle on the action, and the following face-sitting is incredibly hot. Also, the thing I like about this movie, that constantly comes up and is fast becoming one of Whitney Wright’s calling cards as a director, is the extended end of the sex scene. Once Mother Lauren and Christina finish having sex, there is a story element that must be dealt with. It’s not just narrative exposition, sex, next; the sex has consequences and we get to see those consequences and the impact they have on Hayley immediately. That is strong storytelling in my opinion.

Scarlett Sage gets a second scene, this time with Alex Coal, in a flashback scene that depicts their intensely emotional admission of their feelings for one another. This is the best scene I’ve seen this year and it is because of the absolute genuine emotional crumbling of Scarlett Sage. When Abigail (Coal) kisses Christina, Scarlett absolutely becomes Christina in that vulnerable moment, and she allows the character to show her true feelings in an unabashedly real way. Watching the tears of joy and pain stream down Christina’s face transformed this scene from a standard sexual affair to a heart-wrenching celebration of love that really speaks to the difference most people see between lesbian sex and heterosexual sex. This is a perfect example of what can happen when women frame a sexual encounter between other women. It has the potential to have a different feeling surrounding it and the sex can become much more than tongues on twats and tits. It can become connective. Scene of the movie as far as I’m concerned, and I don’t even need to talk about how arousing it was on a physical level. Really fantastic stuff.

Mother Sarah and Sister Claire (Kenzie Reeves) engage in a very intense scene that (by design) lacks the intimacy of Scarlett’s scene with Coal (which is preceded by a harsh pseudo-solo/voyeur scene between Lux and Angel); yet another example of the sex serving the story. Instead, this scene is built on manipulation and malice. Joanna plays her role perfectly, forcing the innocent Claire into a no-win situation for her own twisted machinations. Claire is completely overwhelmed and helpless against Mother Sarah’s sexual onslaught, and the result is a scene that explodes with intensity, but is devoid of the softness audiences tend to associate with lesbian sex in porn. It’s a great subversion of expectations from Wright, and while the libido is undeniably stimulated, there’s a coldness to the scene that makes it feel one-sided and harsh. Exactly as intended.

Jordan and Hayley find each other at one point and share an encounter that is filled with longing and trepidation. The exposition that precedes the sex is all-important here, and with it, the scene becomes something much more than it presents itself as. Haley and Jordan are both desperate to believe each other and they both surrender to the possibility of their happy ending with reckless abandon. They can’t stay quiet despite the incredible risk of getting caught, and they writhe within each other like snakes coiling around each other. The audience feels the danger of their coupling, but wants to see them succeed regardless. Kira Noir deserves recognition for her part here as well. It is her aching plea that makes this scene feel the way it does and Kira is so good and making her character’s motivations palpable for the audience. Also, holy cow I could have watched Lux grind her pussy on Taylor’s face all day.

The sex of the film closes with Hayley and her fast companion Victoria (Daisy Taylor), who serves as Hayley’s rudder through the hell of the conversion facility. After a pretty intense sequence depicting Hayley’s stint in “the hole,” she is rescued by a doting Victoria who bathes her and reminds her that despite the hardships she’s facing, they are stronger together and can together survive anything. This scene is a payoff to foreshadowing throughout the movie and it is worth the wait. Victoria’s trans nature shines a blinding spotlight on the flawed nature of the entire idea of conversion therapy, and when Hayley and Victoria find their way to each other’s bodies, the satisfying release of their surrender to each other is exactly what the audience needs to make the harrowing journey of the film worthwhile. Also, holy cow I could have watched Lux grind her pussy on Taylor’s face all day.

This is a pretty powerful movie. The subject matter is relevant and disconcerting, and it’s handled honestly. That said, the movie still knows it’s porn, and the sex (while narratively powerful) manages to remain erotic and stimulating. Whitney Wright continues to prove herself as one of the premier writers and directors of lesbian erotica in the industry today, while Cadence Lux and Joanna Angel carry the movie with their strong performances, supported by an outstanding Scarlett Sage who deserves more time in the acting spotlight after this.