Watching films by director Joe Sarno has shown me he tends to rely on a limited formula. As far as I can tell, he’s made around four movies in a few years, all following roughly the same storyline: a woman who is sexually unfulfilled goes to live with a female relative and experiences a sexual awakening. And I suspect those four aren't his only films that use this exact plot. Personally, he should have just stopped after *Inga*. That film started this trend in Sarno’s work, and while it wasn’t flawless, it was effective for what it set out to do. But Joe seemed determined to refine this story, resulting in *Bibi*, which is probably the second-best of these movies—though that isn't saying much. *Bibi* tells the story of a sexually subdued woman named Bibi who goes to live with her aunt. During her stay, her curiosity about lesbianism grows, and the rest of the film consists mainly of sex scenes. I appreciate the concept of a young woman exploring her sexuality and finding comfort in these encounters, which is well-established during the first half. The movie falters significantly in its second half, which becomes an unbroken sequence of sex scenes. There’s little variation beyond the gender of the partners or the setting; occasionally, a prop is introduced. While this seems intended to illustrate Bibi's escalating sexual desire, there's almost no respite between one scene and the next. These scenes lack setup or resolution, ending abruptly like quick encounters. I can think of numerous ways they could have enriched the film: 1. Bibi goes to a bar and uses her appearance to attract attention, leading to a foursome in a bathroom. 2. One of the existing male characters takes her out to a movie, where she performs oral sex in the theater. 3. During dinner, Bibi subtly teases or pleases one of the women at the table. A story about a young woman's intense sexual appetite offers many possibilities. Instead, the scenes become repetitive and lose their impact. I will say that, like all the other sex scenes I’ve seen in Joe Sarno films, they strike a nice balance between being sexy, sensual, and affectionate. He knows how to direct these scenes well, but it seems to be his only skill. I understand erotic movies often contain many sex scenes, but there's a difference between a story about sex and one that simply leads to sex—the latter is essentially pornography. A good example of a film *about* sex would be *Blue is the Warmest Color*, which runs over three hours. It’s an engaging watch because it explores the full spectrum of a relationship centered on sexuality, with tastefully shot sex scenes interspersed throughout. *Bibi* feels about forty-five minutes too long. If Joe Sarno could handle themes like infidelity, pedophilia, and controversial relationships—as he did in *Inga*, keeping that film just over an hour—he could have crafted *Bibi* into something shorter than its drawn-out one hour and forty-five minute runtime. If you’re looking for a good erotic drama about confused teenage sexuality, I'd suggest watching *Blue is the Warmest Color* if it's still available on Netflix.

Source on TMDB