Anora: Deeper than it looks

So everybody’s heard of Anora. Best picture, best actress, etc. Whether you know it from Mark Eydelshteyn, Russia’s version of young Timothee Chalamet, or from Mikey Madison’s soft spoken demeanor; this film has people talking. And if you haven’t heard the buzz, let me tell you why it was my best watch of 2024.

Surface level, Anora is a hilarious, laugh-out-loud, film. The premise is simple: Brooklyn stripper meets the spoiled son of an oligarch and they fall in love. But what drew me in was the film’s roots in a deep painting of issues: sexuality in the modern age. Sean Baker humanizes the sex-worker community, depicting Ani as a woman with agency and a hyperbolic example of today’s dating scene (love bombing, de-romanticism of sex, etc).

So you want to be one part entertained and 3 parts questioning of everything? And you’ve found yourself with a spare 2 hours and 19 minutes? Give it a watch, you won’t regret it.