Jenna Ortega may be best known for playing the young Wednesday Addams, but her latest role has proven that the actress is all grown up.
In the actress' latest big-screen performance, the 21-year-old Ortega plays 18-year-old student Cairo Sweet, who becomes romantically entangled with her teacher Jonathan - played by 52-year-old Martin Freeman. Check out the pair in action below:
The film delves into the intricacies of their complex relationship, with Cairo writing a sex story that blurs the lines between reality and fiction, mirroring her encounters with Jonathan.
The movie - originally penned as a play by Jade Halley Bartlett in 2011, gained recognition when it appeared on the 2016 Black List - hit theaters in the US on January 26, and has left viewers rather disturbed.
As well as seeing Ortega - who is perhaps best known for portraying the young Wednesday Addams in the hit Netflix series - act in some very steamy scenes, some viewers have expressed discomfort over the significant 31-year age gap between Ortega and her co-star.
After seeing the movie, viewers swiftly took to social media platforms like X (formerly Twitter) to voice their discomfort with the intimate scenes, with one user expressing: "I think I am finally done watching these age gap movies. They are all gross, and I am tired of it. No amount of Jenna Ortega or Martin Freeman could save this one for me."
Others echoed similar sentiments, with comments like: "MARTIN FREEMAN WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO JENNA ORTEGA" and "Jenna Ortega and Martin Freeman… I’m uncomfortable"
Some users pointed out the stark age difference between the actors, with one remarking: "When Martin Freeman was in his 40’s Jenna Ortega was 10 years old."
Yeesh.
Despite the backlash, some defended the film, urging viewers to remember that it's a work of fiction. "Apparently people are freaking out because Jenna Ortega kisses a girl in one scene, and assumes the d*ggy-style position with Martin Freeman in another. Like guys, it's a movie, she's acting. Chill."
In an interview with WhatToWatch, Miller's Girl director Jade Halley Bartlett opened up about working with Ortega.
"[Ortega] scared the s**t out of me. She definitely went to a place with Cairo that... it's even tricky to explain," Bartlett confessed. "There are some moments that Jenna has when she is looking at Jonathan or when she is talking to him when she is like I almost believe… she's like a vampire, like a 900-year-old vampire.
"There's something very ancient that she does that really scares the s**t out of me, excuse my language."
As previously mentioned, Miller's Girl is currently in movie theaters in the US. There is no word on a UK release date at this time.
