No Hard Feelings: Jennifer Lawrence Goes All Out in Raunchy Comedy
Against all expectations for lighter, less intense scenes, Jennifer Lawrence’s upcoming film No Hard Feelings showcases one of the craziest and most action-packed sex scenes in recent movie history. Going fully nude and fighting in the sand, the Oscar winner takes her commitment to her on-screen roles to a new level in the R-rated sex comedy. And we have a feeling that it’s just the start of more standout performances and bold choices for Jennifer Lawrence, now free from blockbuster contracts.
The No Hard Feelings trailer teased some steamy scenes, but it seems the second summer movie of 2023 is willing to dive into gritty adult territory, quite literally. According to Film Reporter, No Hard Feelings features a hardcore full-frontal nudity scene. As Jennifer Lawrence’s character has a skinny-dipping session, teenage frat punks steal her clothes, leading to madness and an intense beach fight.
In an interview with Yahoo Entertainment, director Liz Benson talked about how she was inspired by Lawrence’s character and the use of nudity in this scene. “Her character Mattei isn’t concerned about being ashamed of her body – not only does she spend a lot of time naked, she uses that body to fight,” Benson said. “The nudity in this scene is meant to shock and surprise, but it’s really about the shift in power, that she was strong and in control, but these guys took that power away.”
Nudity is often objectifying women in film, but No Hard Feelings uses Jennifer Lawrence’s body as a tool – surprising, shocking, comedic, and showing power through fighting back. This scene also parallels what is happening to the slightly inebriated Mattei at that time – she’s in a vulnerable state, too. This element of the surprise and shock factor is especially funny considering that going fully nude on-screen has become quite common for Jennifer Lawrence. Still, the way it’s employed in this instance offers something fresh that atypically challenges the typical titillating portrayal of women’s nudity in film.
In a way, this is what makes No Hard Feelings even more watchable – seeing the typically reserved Jennifer Lawrence truly ferociously take on the role of teenage badass, punky beach dweller Mattei. Love her or hate her, you have to admit that she’s damn good at her craft. While recent works like In Darkness and Causeway might have left critics divided due to lack of clarity, No Hard Feelings offers a truly unique change from the blockbuster movies we’re used to seeing her in, while still keeping its male-focused script and its No Hard Feelings budget in check.
And after seeing Jennifer Lawrence tackle roles like a lesbian celebrity scandal movie queen, a mute widow forced to marry the man she murdered, and now a teenage outcast forced to battle a particularly raunchy fate, we can’t wait to see what’s next. While Jennifer Lawrence’s passion projects appear to be doing well at the box office, perhaps not every single movie needs to showcase as much of her as No Hard Feelings does – but I digress. The film and its lead's performance are definitely trending now, so we’re hoping that means more to come for Jennifer Lawrence and movies like No Hard Feelings in the future.
