Turn Me On, Dammit! (2012)
78%RT Audience Score: 60%
Awards & Nominations: 5 wins & 7 nominations
Turn Me On, Dammit!” is a delightful coming-of-age film that explores the complexities of teenage sexuality with humor and heart. Director Jannicke Systad Jacobsen’s adaptation of Olaug Nilssen’s novel is a refreshing departure from the typical American teen movie, offering a nuanced and relatable portrayal of a young woman’s sexual awakening. With a witty script and a charming cast, this film is a celebration of healthy desire and a reminder that there’s nothing shameful about exploring one’s own body and desires. Jacobsen’s direction is sensitive and insightful, capturing the heady mix of angst and ardor that characterizes puberty. Overall, “Turn Me On, Dammit!” is a must-see for anyone who remembers the awkwardness of adolescence and the thrill of first love.
Turn Me On, Dammit!” is a hilarious and heartwarming coming-of-age story that explores the awkwardness and confusion of teenage sexuality in a refreshingly honest way. It’s a breath of fresh air in a genre that’s often dominated by male perspectives, and it’s impossible not to root for the film’s protagonist as she navigates the ups and downs of first love and sexual desire. With a witty script and a talented cast, this movie is a must-see for anyone who’s ever felt like an outsider or struggled to find their place in the world. So turn on, tune in, and get ready to laugh and cry with this delightful indie gem!
Production Company(ies)
Asghar Farhadi Productions, Dreamlab Films, MPAAPSA Academy Film Fund,
Distributor
New Yorker Films
Release Type
Filming Location(s)
Hjelmeland, Norway
MPAA / Certificate
Not Rated
Year of Release
2011
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby Digital
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Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
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Runtime:1h 16m
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Language(s):Norwegian, English
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Mar 30, 2012 Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 16, 2012
Genre(s)
Comedy
Keyword(s)
starring Helene Bergsholm, Henriette Steenstrup, Malin Bjorhovde, Matias Myren, Beate Stofring, Lars Nordtveit Listau, directed by Jannicke Systad Jacobsen, written by Jannicke Systad Jacobsen, Comedy, Norwegian, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Calvin Wilson, Robert Abele, Amy Biancolli, Moira MacDonald, Michael O’Sullivan, Rene Rodriguez, Jas Keimig, Patrick Felton, Mattie Lucas, Pat Padua, produced by New Yorker Films, MPAA rating, teen sexuality, masturbation, breast fondling, erect penis, social outcast, small Norwegian town, telephone sex line, lip gloss, death penalty, dance, fantasy life, heterosexual, adulthood, beautiful scenery
Worldwide gross: $1,743,743
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $2,295,634
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,375
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 250,342
US/Canada gross: $126,085
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $165,991
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,577
US/Canada opening weekend: $10,145
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $13,356
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,634
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NOK 17,500,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Henriette Steenstrup – Alma’s Mother
Malin Bjorhovde – Sara
Matias Myren – Artur
Beate Stofring – Ingrid
Lars Nordtveit Listau – Kjartan
Jannicke Systad Jacobsen – Director/Writer
Director(s)
Jannicke Systad Jacobsen
Writer(s)
Jannicke Systad Jacobsen
Producer(s)
NA
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
5 wins & 7 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (46) | Top Critics (22) | Fresh (43) | Rotten (3)
True, the film deals with sex. But at heart, it’s really about romance.
July 6, 2012 | Rating: 3/4
Calvin Wilson
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
TOP CRITIC
The movie treats a girl’s burgeoning sexuality as neither epic nor problematic, or mutually exclusive of feelings of love, but rather simply, refreshingly, as one part of maturing.
June 29, 2012 | Rating: 3.5/5
Robert Abele
Los Angeles Times
TOP CRITIC
Teenage boys aren’t alone in exploring their confused and unruly libidos. Girls go there, too. And when they do, it’s no small thing.
June 14, 2012
Amy Biancolli
San Francisco Chronicle
TOP CRITIC
“Turn Me On, Dammit!” is a rarity: a comedy about a teenage girl’s budding sexuality, treated with wit and kindness.
June 14, 2012 | Rating: 3/4
Moira MacDonald
Seattle Times
TOP CRITIC
A wry if saucily subversive charmer, based on a novel by Olaug Nilssen.
June 1, 2012 | Rating: 2.5/4
Michael O’Sullivan
Washington Post
TOP CRITIC
For a genre dominated by American movies in which girls are usually prizes or objects of lust, Turn Me On, Dammit! practically feels revolutionary.
May 24, 2012 | Rating: 3/4
Rene Rodriguez
Miami Herald
TOP CRITIC
…relatable, but never exploitative…
December 9, 2021
Jas Keimig
The Stranger (Seattle, WA)
As both a feminist document and piece of entertainment, Turn Me On, Dammit remains imperfect. However, it remains a refreshing alternative to the testosterone-laced fare that usually represents the teen years.
March 10, 2021
Patrick Felton
Battleship Pretension
A warm, witty, and hilarious celebration of healthy sexual desire in all its forms.
August 6, 2019 | Rating: 3/4
Mattie Lucas
From the Front Row
Relies on a simple observation of teen sexuality, frank without exploiting its young charges.
August 30, 2018
Pat Padua
DCist
With uncommon sensitivity, Jacobsen digs into that heady, woozy mix of angst and ardor that characterizes puberty.
May 3, 2015
Sean Burns
Philadelphia Weekly
Still, Jacobsen has created a lightly enjoyable quirky, witty comedy which isn’t equivocal. It breezes by because of its charming affable script.
April 3, 2013 | Rating: 3/5
Ashley Norris
HeyUGuys…
Plot
A 15-year-old Norwegian girl named Alma is ostracized by her peers after exploring her sexuality with the school heartthrob in the comedy film “Turn Me On, Dammit!” directed by Jannicke Systad Jacobsen.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Helene Bergsholm delivers a brilliant performance as the constantly horny teenage protagonist in Turn Me On, Dammit!
Jannicke-Systad-Jacobsen.jpg
