Anora (2024)

By: Mike Ward on Thursday, January 02

R Running Time: 139 mins

SHOULD I SEE IT?

YES

Sean Baker’s Anora is bold, daring, and, as led by Mikey Madison, one of the best films of 2024.
Essentially three movies in one - a whirlwind rom-com, a suspenseful comedy of errors, and a dramatic narrative about a woman finding agency and the power of her own voice, Anora is as breathtaking a viewing experience as one will find.
While Mikey Madison’s performance is a star-making performance, Anora benefits from an outstanding ensemble cast who make the storytelling feel urgent, engrossing, and truly something special.

NO

I can acknowledge that Anora’s subject matter may not be for everyone. The film is full of frank dialogue and encounters, a litany of curse words, and characters who often do not act in their best interest. I would argue that makes the film feel more real, but this movie more than earns its R rating.
One criticism of Anora is that the film never settles on a tone - that the shifts it makes are jarring and off-putting. When viewed through Ani’s eyes, you can make the case that this is intentional, but the criticism still remains.
If you cannot accept that movies and stories about sex workers are absolutely part of the American experience, I am sorry that you cannot have more of an open mind when understanding the world around you.

OUR REVIEW

Akin to holding a pack of firecrackers in your hand as the flame draws closer to igniting them, Anora is an oftentimes hilarious, anxiety-driven, deeply felt character study that brings Sean Baker’s filmmaking talents to new heights. As exhilarating a movie experience as I had in 2024, and led by a career-defining performance by Mikey Madison, Anora is one of the best films of the year and a movie we will likely be talking about for years and years to come.

While not necessarily a household name, Baker has made a career out of telling stories of everyday Americans who are often shunned and shamed for simply trying to find a way to survive.

With films like Tangerine, The Florida Project and Red Rocket, most of his work focuses on the day-to-day life of sex workers and, in this instance, Anora is no different. Madison plays Ani, a dancer and escort who works at a Brooklyn strip club. Because she speaks fluent Russian, her boss introduces her to Vanya, also known as Ivan (Mark Eydelshteyn), the son of a Russian oligarch sent to Brooklyn to attend college. Stopping off in the club for a little fun, with plenty of money to burn, he and Ani make a fast connection.

Soon, he hires her for a number of private encounters in his family’s mansion. What Ani does not anticipate is how quickly she falls for Ivan and despite being paid to be Ivan’s girlfriend, the two are quickly off to Vegas and soon married.

To share more details would ruin the experience for those who have yet to experience Anora. Essentially this is three movies in one: a sexually-charged rom-com, a suspenseful comedy of errors where a fixer tries to undue all the trouble Ivan has caused in just a few short weeks in America, and the story of a young woman trying to find her place in a world that has routinely pushed her away, tried to silence her, and set her aside.

Madison is transformative in the title role, giving what many consider to be the performance of the year. Brash, uncompromising, and balancing vulnerability with a damaged and misaligned trust and belief in those she meets, Madison both breaks your heart and steals it at the very same time. She humanizes this character and we are invested deeply in what she has to say and how she reacts to things.

And let’s be clear, Ani is not perfect. She makes some awful decisions. But the beauty of a Sean Baker film is that he never judges the people he spends time with. He roots for those who are typically rooted against. And he reminds us that these stories of escorts, strippers, prostitutes, immigrants, laborers, and those so easily discarded as “other” have agency and value in our society. Ani is not ashamed of what she does for work and never asks anyone to feel sorry for her. When she recognizes the problems Ivan has created for himself and his family, she seeks to make it better but ultimately demands to be seen.

Baker is unflinching. We are in the clubs with Ani and Ivan. We see their frequent sexual encounters. We zoom off to Las Vegas and get swept up in their wedding. We watch Ivan play video games in his endlessly large mansion, while Ani wonders what they will do next. We experience everything Ani and Ivan share together in that whirlwind rom-com portion.

And when a fixer named Toros arrives, brilliantly played by Baker regular Karren Karaguilan, his efforts to dictate to Ani and Ivan how things will go, now that he is on the scene, are met with fierce resistance. And not at all by Ivan.

Having now watched it twice, Anora still delivers a rush of excitement. On a second viewing, it becomes even more clear just how deeply thoughtful and densely layered the film is. Where most movies rush through scenes to get to some “big” moments, Anora allows each scene, each line of dialogue, to inform us and create richer, more complex characters. We become immersed into this world like Ani does, and when it unravels we are left trying to put the pieces back together right along with her.

There is so much more I could share. Ani’s eventual meeting with Ivan’s parents is a powerhouse moment. The arrival of Igor (Yura Borisov), a henchman hired to assist Toros, has a surprising impact as Ani fights to accept genuine kindness, acceptance, and feels vulnerability for perhaps the first time in her life.

Anora simply asks one question of its audience: Can you accept this person and spend a couple of hours in her world?

By saying yes, we acknowledge Ani and we see her. She matters. We get a glimpse into her world and we learn from her. And all of this is brought to life by Mikey Madison and writer/director Sean Baker, giving us a remarkable and unforgettable movie experience.

CAST & CREW

Starring: Mikey Madison, Mark Eydelshteyn, Yura Borisov, Karren Karagulian, Lindsey Normington, Luna Sofia Miranda, Darya Ekamasova, Vache Tovmasyan, Aleksei Serebryakov, Ivy Wolk

Director: Sean Baker
Written by: Sean Baker
Release Date: November 8, 2024
NEON

Sean Baker’s Anora is bold, daring, and, as led by Mikey Madison, one of the best films of 2024.

Essentially three movies in one - a whirlwind rom-com, a suspenseful comedy of errors, and a dramatic narrative about a woman finding agency and the power of her own voice, Anora is as breathtaking a viewing experience as one will find.

While Mikey Madison’s performance is a star-making performance, Anora benefits from an outstanding ensemble cast who make the storytelling feel urgent, engrossing, and truly something special.

One criticism of Anora is that the film never settles on a tone - that the shifts it makes are jarring and off-putting. When viewed through Ani’s eyes, you can make the case that this is intentional, but the criticism still remains.

If you cannot accept that movies and stories about sex workers are absolutely part of the American experience, I am sorry that you cannot have more of an open mind when understanding the world around you.