Hysteria

Anna (Aiden Ashley) is in the rut to end all ruts. The painful memories of her marriage’s end gut her constantly, her writer’s block has her publisher breathing down her neck, and now, she’s seeing and hearing strange things in her home. Can Anna get a handle on her sanity and retake control of her life, or will the trauma of her past rip the fabric of her sanity to shreds?

Long before Stormy Daniels was making headlines with the former president, she was writing and directing some of the best movies to ever come out of Wicked Pictures. After a five-year hiatus, Stormy returns to the studio that made her a household name with “Hysteria.” And what a return it is. I’ve always thought Stormy had an incredible knack for creating characters that audiences can glom onto, and putting those characters in stories that are relatable and entertaining. As an example, there was a time that she was writing what I considered to be the best comedies in the industry. With “Hysteria,” Stormy flexes her dramatic muscles in the supernatural genre, something that feels like a natural evolution of her as a creator considering the success of her “Spooky Babes” project. This isn’t the first time Stormy has delved into the world beyond, but it’s her most ambitious otherworldly project to date.

To bring her dramatic tale to life, Stormy assembles a dynamite cast that includes the always excellent Aiden Ashley in the lead, as well as impressive young upstart Anna Claire Clouds in a pivotal supporting role. Sprinkle in a healthy dose of porn’s top leading man in Seth Gamble and the fantastic Casey Calvert, and you’ve got a recipe for success.

I also love the fact that Stormy broaches the subject of female hysteria with this film. Across the nation, women routinely feel dismissed and ignored when they try to recount their trauma. The word “hysteria” itself carries a ton of systemic, oppressive context with it. After all, when male doctors couldn’t understand what was ailing a woman in early medicine, they simply chalked it up to hysteria and treated the women as if they were crazy and unbalanced. Stormy does a great job tackling this idea without sacrificing the erotic nature of her movie. That’s a credit to her ability as a writer.

In addition to featuring an interesting narrative, this film boasts some great sex. Aiden and Anna hook up in a passionate coupling that feels like something out of a romance novel. There’s a ton of kissing and caressing, and it sets the tone from the jump. This isn’t fucking; this is lovemaking; and it’s quite beautiful.

Seth and Anna hook up in an art gallery bathroom in a scene that’s intense as hell. Seth is hard, fast, and merciless with Clouds, and boy howdy, is it arousing! There’s plenty of pussy pounding action, but there’s also some hot rimming and a cowgirl on the toilet that is exactly as dirty as you think it is.

Casey has an intimate encounter with her boyfriend, played by Chris Cock, and I must say it’s possibly the most romantic scene in the film. Cock takes his time with Calvert, reveling in every inch of her body as he slow-burns her to satisfying ecstasy. Casey is so freaking pretty, and she looks lovely here getting served by Cock’s dick.

Ryan Driller (one of my favorite performers of the last two decades) finds his way into bed with Charly Summer (an up-and-cummer who I’ve taken note of recently) in a scene that is a great bookend for the film’s sex. It’s passionate and erotic and stands as a nice contrast to the dramatic action that drives the story.

This is a fantastic return to prominence for Stormy as a writer and director. With Axel Braun now running Wicked, fans should hope he gives Stormy the free reign she once enjoyed in the company to create features of all kinds.