Movies: Doin’ It (2024) by Sara Zandieh: A Bold, Hilarious, and Heartfelt Take on Sex, Shame & Self-Discovery
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Teaching Sex Ed When You’ve Never Done It
Lilly Singh steps into the R-rated comedy world with confidence and charm in Sara Zandieh’s Doin’ It — a whip-smart, laugh-out-loud story about a woman teaching what she’s never experienced. Mixing raunchy humor with cultural nuance and emotional depth, this fresh comedy tackles taboos around sex, identity, and education through a sharp feminist lens.
Funny, fearless, and surprisingly touching, Doin’ It is not just about “doing it” — it’s about finding the courage to own your story.
Maya (Lilly Singh) is a 30-year-old Indian-American woman — confident, ambitious, and, well… still a virgin. When she loses her corporate job, Maya reluctantly accepts a temporary position teaching high school sex education at a conservative suburban school.
There’s only one problem: she’s completely inexperienced.
Navigating hormonal students, skeptical parents, and her overbearing mother (Sonia Dhillon Tully), Maya must learn to teach what she’s never practiced — while discovering that intimacy, honesty, and connection mean more than the act itself. Along the way, she finds unexpected support from Alex (Trevor Salter), the charming gym teacher who helps her challenge her fears and insecurities.
Equal parts comedy, coming-of-age, and cultural commentary, Doin’ It blends raunchy laughs with emotional sincerity — offering a rare, empowering perspective in the modern rom-com landscape.
Why to Watch This Movie: Smart, Sexy, and Socially Relevant
Doin’ It isn’t just another sex comedy — it’s a sharp, self-aware story that redefines what empowerment looks like.
A fresh female voice: Co-written by Lilly Singh and Tell Me How I Die director Sara Zandieh, bringing both humor and honesty.
Breaking cultural taboos: Tackles Indian-American conservatism, shame, and body literacy with wit and warmth.
R-rated comedy with a conscience: Like Bridesmaids meets Booksmart, with more heart.
Representation that matters: A diverse, inclusive cast led by a South Asian woman in a genre rarely seen through this lens.
Laugh-out-loud writing: Fast-paced jokes meet deeper insights about education, identity, and intimacy.
It’s a bold reminder that comedy can be dirty, but also deeply meaningful.
Where to watch: https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/doin-it (US), https://www.justwatch.com/ca/movie/doin-it (Canada)
Link IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt26853872/
What Is the Trend Followed: The Rise of the Feminist Raunch-Comedy
Doin’ It continues the recent wave of female-led, socially aware comedies — movies that mix raunch with reflection.
Feminist R-rated revival: Following No Hard Feelings, Bottoms, and Joy Ride, it embraces sexual humor from a woman’s POV.
Culture-clash comedy: Explores diasporic identity, generational tension, and modern womanhood.
Sex education on screen: Joins a growing trend of films addressing misinformation, shame, and empowerment.
Meta-humor: Winks at rom-com clichés while subverting them — the teacher learns as much as her students.
Feel-good storytelling: A reminder that awkwardness and imperfection are part of growing up — at any age.
Zandieh and Singh have crafted a comedy that’s both wildly funny and culturally healing.
Movie Plot: She’s Never Done It. Now She Has to Teach It.
The Setup: Maya, a data analyst turned unemployed millennial, reluctantly takes a job as a substitute sex-ed teacher. (Trend: career failure turned self-discovery.)
The Conflict: Her inexperience and cultural upbringing clash with the job — and with the progressive curriculum she’s expected to teach.
The Chaos: From disastrous classroom Q&As to parental protests, Maya’s lessons go viral for all the wrong reasons.
The Heart: As she opens up to her students, Maya starts confronting her own shame and misconceptions about love and desire.
The Resolution: In teaching others about connection, she learns to embrace her own — discovering that “doing it” isn’t just physical; it’s emotional courage.
At once hilarious and heartfelt, Doin’ It is a journey of self-acceptance, community, and owning your awkwardness.
Director’s Vision: Sara Zandieh’s Warm, Witty Modern Touch
Director Sara Zandieh (A Simple Wedding) brings her signature blend of cultural insight and lighthearted energy.
Tone: Balances fast-paced comedy with moments of genuine vulnerability.
Cinematography: Bright, inviting visuals that match the film’s comedic optimism.
Cultural specificity: Uses Maya’s Indian-American background as a source of both humor and truth.
Character depth: Avoids stereotypes — every laugh comes from humanity, not mockery.
Pacing: Keeps a sharp rhythm with quippy dialogue and clever callbacks.
Zandieh directs with a steady hand and open heart — delivering both laughs and lessons without preaching.
Themes: Sex, Shame, and Self-Worth
At its core, Doin’ It is about learning to value yourself — even when the world tells you you’re “behind.”
Sexual empowerment: Redefines virginity and sexuality beyond physical experience.
Cultural conflict: Explores generational divides in South Asian immigrant families.
Education and truth: Highlights the need for honest, inclusive sex education.
Feminine identity: Challenges stereotypes about women’s desires and timelines.
Humor as healing: Uses comedy to dissolve shame and create dialogue.
In a culture obsessed with performance — romantic, sexual, or social — Doin’ It argues that real intimacy starts with authenticity.
Main Factors Behind Its Impact: Breaking Barriers with Laughter
Representation milestone: One of the first mainstream R-rated comedies led by a queer South Asian woman.
Universal humor: Combines cross-cultural awkwardness with timeless coming-of-age comedy.
Empowering message: Encourages openness around sex, identity, and communication.
Star power: Lilly Singh’s charisma anchors the story, balancing silliness with sincerity.
Cultural timing: Arrives amid renewed debates about censorship, education, and women’s rights.
It’s not just funny — it’s relevant, and it knows it.
Awards & Recognition: A Feel-Good Festival Hit
🏆 Winner – Audience Choice Award (Toronto Comedy Film Festival 2024)
🌍 Official Selection – SXSW 2024
✨ Nominated – Best Actress (Lilly Singh), Canadian Screen Awards 2025
🎬 Critics’ Pick – IndieWire & The Playlist
Critics praised Doin’ It as “a bold, boundary-pushing comedy that finally lets South Asian women be messy, funny, and free.”
Critics Reception: Fearless, Funny, and Full of Heart
Variety: “A raunchy sex comedy with a soul — Lilly Singh proves she’s more than a YouTube star.”
The Guardian: ★★★★☆ “A refreshingly honest and hilarious look at sexuality, shame, and second chances.”
IndieWire: “Like Booksmart meets Ms. Marvel — sweet, subversive, and needed.”
Hollywood Reporter: “Sara Zandieh brings sincerity to satire in this crowd-pleasing gem.”
Collider: “A smart, inclusive, and truly funny comedy about growing up on your own terms.”
Overall: A high-energy mix of humor and humanity that proves progress can be funny.
Reviews: Fans Are Loving It (and Laughing Hard)
humblethepoet (10/10): “If you love Bridesmaids or Superbad, this is for you. Hilarious and fast-paced.”
ChaosO-1 (9/10): “Wish I had this growing up — edgy, heartfelt, and timeless.”
MP-2251 (9/10): “A comedy with purpose — representation, heart, and great fashion.”
silencebreaker7 (8/10): “Funny and important. Sex ed matters — so does humor.”
Audience consensus: Bold, funny, and relatable — Doin’ It gets laughs while saying something that matters.
Theatrical Release: When and Where
Release Date: September 19, 2025 (United States)
Runtime: 1h 32m (92 min)
Language: English
Country: United States
Filming Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Production Companies: Camelback Productions, Likely Story, Unicorn Island Productions
Streaming Release:
Expected to stream on Netflix and Amazon Prime Video in Spring 2026 following its limited theatrical and festival run.
Movie Trend: Raunch with Responsibility
Doin’ It is part of a growing movement of comedies reclaiming sexual humor for women — equal parts chaotic and cathartic.Like Girls Trip, Joy Ride, or Bottoms, it fuses outrageous humor with cultural nuance, creating space for women of color in genres long dominated by white male voices.
It’s the era of the inclusive raunch-comedy — messy, loud, and gloriously human.
Social Trend: Sex Ed, Representation, and Reclaiming the Conversation
In a time when sex education and gender rights face renewed backlash, Doin’ It arrives as both satire and statement.
By putting a queer, South Asian woman at the center of a sex-ed story, the film redefines who gets to lead conversations about intimacy and agency — not as the punchline, but as the teacher.
Its humor becomes activism — wrapped in laughter, but rooted in truth.
Final Verdict: Raunchy, Real, and Revolutionary
Doin’ It is the kind of comedy Hollywood has needed for years — bold, brown, and brimming with heart.Lilly Singh delivers her most confident performance yet, proving that vulnerability and humor can coexist beautifully.
Funny, feminist, and fearlessly awkward — it’s the sex-ed class we all wish we had.
A smart, subversive crowd-pleaser that makes you laugh, think, and cheer: keep Doin’ It.
Similar Movies: For Fans of Raunchy Feminist Fun
Bridesmaids (2011) – The gold standard of women-led R-rated comedy.
Booksmart (2019) – Friendship, chaos, and sexual awakening collide.
Joy Ride (2023) – Asian-American friendship comedy with wild heart.
Bottoms (2023) – Queer, bloody, and hilariously empowering.
No Hard Feelings (2023) – Subversive, emotional, and unafraid of taboo.
The To Do List (2013) – A nerdy, funny take on first-time expectations.