In her earlier work, Benning develops a filmic language that tests and gives provisionary representation to the very intimate world of her bedroom, and what it means to be Sadie growing up (and out) queer. Objects and texts resonate with accidental emotion and intelligence. It Wasn't Love is more knowing and politicised. A sexy, going-nowhere road movie, Benning does a bad girl Shirley Temple and Charlie Chaplin in drag.