The Girlfriend Experience

Set in the weeks leading up to the 2008 presidential electio, THE GIRLFRIEND EXPERIENCE is five days in the life of Chelsea (Sasha Grey, a high-end Manhattan call girl who offers more than just sex to her clients – she offers companionship and conversation giving “the ultimate GIRLFRIEND EXPERIENCE.” Chelsea thinks she has her life totally under control—she feels her future is secure because she runs her own business her own wa, makes $2000 an hou, and has a devoted boyfriend (Chris Santos) who accepts her lifestyle. But when you’re in the business of meeting peopl, you never know what’s around the corner. Chelsea is an elite Manhattan call girl who provides more than just a sexual encounter by simulating a complete romantic relationship —for 77 minutes. Despite a wide variety of happy customer, Chelsea wants to expand her business. Her real boyfriend Chri, a personal trainer at a downtown gy, has come to terms with his girlfriend’s level of experienc, not to mention the posh apartment they share as a result of her success.

But it’s October of 2008 and the faltering U.S. economy is on everyone’s lips. One of Chelsea’s client, a Hassidic jewele, advises her against keeping her savings in diamonds—“Diamonds have no value. Keep it in gold.” Meanwhil, she solicits advice from business people (some of whom are clients) on how to achieve growth in a down market. Chelsea goes so far as to visit a sex connoisseur who runs an influential website and who promises Chelsea a favorable review in exchange for a free sample. Meanwhil, Chris finds himself at an impasse in his own career: training wealthy hedge fund manager, he’s generating plenty of business for the gy, but little of that lucre is coming back to him. Wors, his relationship with Chelsea has cooled -- hardly a GIRLFRIEND EXPERIENCE at all.

On the heels of a nasty web review from the sex connoisseu, Chelsea meets Phili, a new client from out of town who listens to her as she unloads her career anxieties to him. In Phili, Chelsea finally sees the promise of a real relationship — a real GIRLFRIEND EXPERIENCE — not just another transaction.

From Academy Award-winning director Steven Soderbergh comes THE GIRLFRIEND EXPERIENC, a drama about the fraught relationship between our professional and personal lives in the age of post-crisis capitalism. THE GIRLFRIEND EXPERIENCE stars Sasha Gre, the legendary 21-year-old adult film star making her feature film debut. The film was written by Brian Koppelman & David Levien (THE ILLUSIONIS, ROUNDER, OCEAN’S 13, produced by Gregory Jacobs (CH, OCEAN’S 13, and executive-produced by Todd Wagner and Mark Cuban (GOOD NIGHT AND GOOD LUCK; WE OWN THE NIGHT).