Anora
2024 · Directed by Sean Baker
Original language: English
- drama
- comedy
- romance
The story
A young sex worker from Brooklyn gets her chance at a Cinderella story when she meets and impulsively marries the son of an oligarch. Once the news reaches Russia, her fairytale is threatened as his parents set out to get the marriage annulled.
What it’s like
Restless handheld camera stays close on faces in cramped Brooklyn apartments, strip-club rooms washed in pink and red neon, and the bright, flat glare of Coney Island boardwalk in winter, with a mansion's cool marble and gilt later pulling the frame wide. The sound is busy and human: overlapping voices, thumping club music, phone chatter in Russian, and sudden silences that feel like held breath. Its vibe is frantic comedy with a bruised undertow, a bright, sweaty, slightly sordid romp that turns tender and then quietly sad. It suits a late, wide-awake night, or a viewing with friends who enjoy talking through the chaos. Pacing is brisk and escalating, with long stretches of chaotic farce and abrupt shifts into stillness, and the emotional register swings between giddy and raw. The central arc follows a young woman who grabs at a fairy-tale rescue and a man who is swept along by the chance to be someone else, both learning what their dreams cost. Intensity is high in language, sexual content and explicit nudity, and the story includes sudden physical scuffles and a few flashes of rough violence, with some tension and emotional cruelty. Best for adults who like raucous comedy, character-driven drama, and a story that doesn't flinch from class and power.
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