May December: The Disturbing Real Sex Scandal Behind The Netflix Movie Explained

Contains spoilers for "May December"

Content warning: child abuse and sexual abuse

On December 1, director Todd Haynes' latest film arrived on Netflix ... and it's based on a notoriously alarming real-life case. "May December," which stars Julianne Moore, Natalie Portman, and Charles Melton, opens on television and film star Elizabeth Berry (Portman) as she arrives in Georgia to study and speak with Gracie Atherton-Yoo (Moore). Why Gracie? Years before the events of the film, Gracie began a "relationship" (used very loosely here) with Joe Yoo (Melton), who was then 13 years old. After Gracie went to prison for sexually abusing a minor — and gave birth to one of the three children she'd go on to have with Joe while incarcerated — the two married. Thanks to her notoriety, Elizabeth will star in an independent film as Gracie.

If any of this sounds even a little familiar, it's because the film is based on a real-life abuse case centered around a teacher, Mary Kay Letourneau, and a student, Vili Fualaau. Letourneau was, rather infamously, Fualaau's teacher while he was in the sixth grade. The two eventually wed, and throughout Letourneau's various stints in prison, she also gave birth behind bars.

So, how do Haynes and screenwriter Samy Burch bring this upsetting story to life? Despite some small differences between Letourneau's story and Gracie's, the major throughline is the same ... and one scene set during the film's climax evokes a disturbing and real clip.

While speaking to The Daily Beast, Haynes said that even though Samy Burch's story was inspired by the Mary Kay Letourneau case, he distanced himself from the real-life events during filming ... but acknowledged that they were still a part of the process. "I really started by pushing that to the side and just being like, 'OK, let's bear down on the specific choices and the distinctions that Samy Burch's script makes from the Mary Kay Letourneau story.' But there was no way ultimately to not." 

This is, perhaps, why one of the film's most difficult scenes seems to directly mirror a 2018 interview with Letourneau and Vili Fualaau. In that discussion, Letourneau makes several horrifying claims — including that while she was technically older than Fualaau, he was an adult in his ways. (Fualaau was 12 years old when Letourneau sexually assaulted him.) When the interviewer pushes back, Letourneau repeatedly and abrasively asks Fualaau, "Who was the boss? Who was the boss back then?" At that moment, the power imbalance is crystal clear.

The way Haynes chooses to mirror this dynamic in "May December" is simultaneously fascinating and repellant. Towards the end of "May December," Joe confronts Gracie — finally asking if what happened between them when he was a child was wrong. Gracie's mild-mannered demeanor falls away. "You seduced me," she tells him. "Who was in charge? Who was in charge?"

Where Haynes' movie truly succeeds is how it ensures that the space for Joe's story is equal to that of his abuser. A lesser narrative would focus more on Gracie and why she pursued Joe — and while "May December" certainly delves into Gracie's psyche by way of Elizabeth, the film slyly pivots its final spotlight on Joe. 

To his credit, Melton is outstanding in this controversial role. Shrugging his shoulders and slumping through scenes like a large child, Melton's Joe looks average from far away. However, the closer you are to him, the more it feels like something is haunting him. When he and Elizabeth have a one-night stand, he doesn't understand the ramifications. When she tells him this is just what adults do, he crumbles. During a particularly emotional scene with his son, Charlie (Gabriel Chung), who is on the precipice of going to college, Joe breaks down and wonders if they're bonding or if the entire interaction is traumatizing. Joe is a deeply tragic character, and Haynes tightens the film's focus to show what would happen to a survivor in his shoes.

"May December" might be a difficult watch, but it feels vital to hear Joe's voice as much as anyone else's. The film is streaming on Netflix now.

If you or someone you know may be the victim of child abuse, please contact the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453) or contact their live chat services.

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).