Buckle up, prestige TV obsessives, because Michelle Williams, our perennial purveyor of poignant gazes and trembling lips, is back. But hold your horses, this isn’t your typical indie weepie – in FX’s new series, Dying for Sex (streaming on Disney+ in Canada), Williams plays Molly, a woman staring down at the barrel of stage-IV cancer who decides to… well, the title pretty much spells it out. She’s on a frantic, no-holds-barred quest to experience all the sex – the kinkier, the better – before she kicks the bucket.
Now, before you clutch your pearls at seeing the title of her show on Disney’s streaming platform, Williams’ show is less about gratuitous nudity and more about a raw, unflinching exploration of desire, mortality and the messy, sometimes hilarious business of being a human being hurtling towards the inevitable. Dying for Sex is adapted from a wildly popular podcast and manages to be both darkly funny and surprisingly tender.
Williams, of course, has carved out a career playing women on the edge, often radiating a quiet intensity that can shatter your heart into a million pieces. But don’t mistake that for a lack of range – this is the same woman who broke our hearts as the enigmatic Jen Lindley on Dawson’s Creek (streaming in Canada on CTV for free). From there, she shed the teen drama skin and morphed into a powerhouse indie darling, racking up Oscar nominations for her gut-wrenching turns in Brokeback Mountain, Blue Valentine, My Week with Marilyn, and Manchester by the Sea.
Oh, and she continues to foray into the mainstream on the big screen as she held her own against CGI symbiotes as Anne Weying in the Venom franchise, proving she can do blockbuster with the same commitment she brings to her indie darlings.
All eight episodes of Dying for Sex dropped on April 4 on Disney+ in Canada, so you can binge the whole thing now, and once you’re done, I’ve got some more picks for you – something new and something to revisit. Dying for Sex also stars Jenny Slate as Milly’s best friend, Sissy Spacek as her mother, Jay Duplass as her ex, and Rob Delaney has her neighbour, with all of whom Williams’ Molly has complex relationships with.
Speaking of navigating tricky relationships with a quiet storm brewing underneath, let’s not forget Sarah Polley’s 2011 gem, Talk This Waltz. Here, Williams plays Margot, a seemingly content married woman (to Canadian Seth Rogen – who is currently shining on Apple TV+’s The Studio right now) whose life takes a sharp, yearning turn when a magnetic attraction to her neighbour (played by Canadian Luke Kirby – who’ll be seen on Prime Video’s Etoile later this season) ignites. While it’s not about dying for sex, Take This Waltz is about living for a different kind of desire, one that threatens to unravel the comfortable fabric of her present, all set to a soundtrack that memorably includes the melancholic synth-pop of “Video Killed the Radio Star,” a perfect nostalgic counterpoint to Margot’s burgeoning restlessness.
Williams delivers a beautifully nuanced performance, capturing the internal tug-of-war between security and the intoxicating pull of something new. Canadians can stream Take This Waltz on either CBC Gem, Crave, or Netflix. Consider the film a fascinating companion piece to Dying for Sex, exploring the complexities of female desire, albeit with potentially less… well, imminent death.
And for those who prefer their Michelle Williams with a side of Portlandia-esque quirk and a whole lot of ceramic art anxiety, there’s Kelly Reichardt’s Showing Up from 2022. Here, Williams plays Lizzy, a sculptor teetering on the edge of artistic breakthrough (or maybe just a nervous breakdown) as she prepares for a pivotal gallery show. Williams captures the simmering frustrations and quiet dedication of a creative soul navigating the messy realities of life, leaky hot water tanks, and all. While it’s not a deep dive into sexual exploration or impending mortality, it’s another showcase for Williams’s ability to find the compelling humanity in the everyday.
Canadians can stream Showing Up on Mubi (as of April 11). So, if you’re looking for a palate cleanser after the potentially more… intense… explorations of Dying for Sex, Showing Up offers a beautifully observed slice of artistic life, proving that Williams can captivate even she she’s just trying to fire a decent kiln.
