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That said, even if the threesome is a no-strings-attached situation totally devoid of any emotional investment, it can be awkward for unicorns if things get messy between the two halves of the couple. Tina, for instance, once had a threesome with a married bisexual woman and her husband. While both seemed into it right off the bat, when the woman’s husband started to have sex with Tina, she got “really territorial” — even though all three had discussed their sexual boundaries beforehand.
Having everyone on the same page is one of the more important prerequisites for a threesome. If the man in the relationship is the one asking a female unicorn to join in, that can be a red flag: In fact, Ana’s encountered men who have approached her for a threesome without ever asking their female partners if they had consented to it. “It is not cool to spring a third party on your partner without talking to them about it and making damn sure they’re on board,” she said.
Even though the characters can be a bit thin, and despite easily solvable problems, The Threesome thrives in presenting big emotions that form the heart of its story. From the beginnings of a love long in development, the loss of love, and the big, unexpected events that completely alter one’s life, it’s in these grander emotional moments where The Threesome truly thrives. Love is at the core of this story, and it’s often just the reactions that make it impactful, such as when Olivia watches Connor play with her niece and nephew and realizes just how much she cares for him, or the simple conversations about big moments between Connor and Jenny. The complications don’t always work, but the display of emotions, and what they mean to these characters, allows The Threesome to hit harder at times.
The Threesome also entirely relies on its three lead performances, and even though the characters aren’t as fleshed out as much as one might like, this trio works quite well together. Deutch has played characters before that are a bit eccentric, yet easily likable, in films like and Flower, but she brings a weight to Olivia that feels like more than just what’s on the page. It’s often hard to tell what Olivia is thinking or what her motivations are, yet Deutch can draw us in and let us know what’s going on simply through a glimpse or a longing stare in someone’s direction. Deutch is always good, but this performance feels like a step up from what we’ve come to expect from her.
Hauer-King is good here, but he also suffers the most from thin characterization, as it’s hard to understand what makes Connor such a draw. He has his charms, such as in the aforementioned scene where he plays with Olivia’s niece and nephew, but The Threesome could’ve used more examples of what makes him special. However, it’s Ruby Cruz, as the quiet, unassuming Jenny, who is a true delight. Even though the film clearly wants us to be invested in the relationship between Olivia and Connor — and we certainly are — it’s hard to understand why Connor wouldn’t be leaning more toward Jenny as an option. She’s clever, fun, and dryly hilarious, and her moments with either Olivia or Connor are always electric. Again, that’s largely due to Cruz’s performance, who lights up the screen from the moment she enters any scene.
