Hot Girls Wanted (2015) Review
Jill Bauer and Ronna Gradus’ Hot Girls Wanted banks on the idea that the porn industry is an escape for many young adults, as an easy means to earn quick money.
Millions of female teenagers, most of whom have just finished high school, look into the realm of porn filmmaking as an option that liberates them—financially and sexually. When recruits of a porn talent agency were interviewed on what prompted them to join, they simply replied “two things: money and sex.” For some, it’s an enjoyable excuse to make big bucks without having to conform to an eight dollars per hour, nine-to-five setting. Just the thought of normalcy or a routine seems off-putting to most recruits.
The basic premise of Hot Girls Wanted would equate to a compelling five-to-eight-part docuseries with each episode focusing on a single subject.
The documentary is still a greatly executed, well-researched exploration of the painful side to an industry of pleasures. An agent revealed that the career life of a porn talent only lasts three months to a year if they’re lucky to make a name for themselves.
In Hot Girls Wanted, we get to see a full timeline of this information through Tress Silguero, also known in the porn industry as Stella May. The first time we see Silguero is during her first day, brimming with excitement and confidence. We learned that she ditched college, and disregarded every conceivable occupation her parents had in mind for her during high school.
After performing in a few pornographic videos, Silguero developed a vaginal cyst that prevented her from continuing. A significant other also felt that remaining in the industry would destroy her, mentally as well as physically.
We did see her quit eventually. In its final minutes, Hot Girls Wanted shows that when one leaves, another will arrive. A new and bigger batch of aspiring porn actresses was briefly highlighted, but the promises they carry include an impending danger.
Hot Girls Wanted is now available for streaming on Netflix, and is ideal viewing for those who are curious to learn more about sex workers and the porn industry. It might be harrowing, but it can be powerful enough to encourage people to stand up and learn more about these rarely represented stories.