Anora: A Gritty, Layered, and Unfiltered Drama

This wasn’t on my Cinderella Happy Ever After list.

Anora is a 2024 film about a young sex worker from Brooklyn. Anora ‘Ani’ impulsively marries Ivan, the son of an oligarch. Once the news reaches Russia, Ani’s fairytale ends when his parents set out for New York to get the marriage annulled.

Anora packs a sold drama in two and a half hours. I wasn’t sure how to feel about this movie and its gritty themes. After watching others' reviews and opinions, I understood the story more. Described as a Cinderella-esque story, Anora establishes a romantic comedy that peals away subtle emotional layers to a young woman’s story.

Mikey Madison has made an incredible impact on this film. Madison has already had a multitalented career with roles in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and Scream (2022). She does a commendable job as Anora ‘Ani,’ a young sex worker. Madison studied every layer of this intricate character, going to strip clubs, taking dance lessons, and learning Russian.

This role was very physically demanding for Madison who was always ready for a challenge. Ani holds her own, fiercely snapping and fighting back. Behind this aggressive and confident exterior lies vulnerable emotions which Madison does a fantastic job embodying. Madison’s skillful performance made this character feel real and heightened the narrative.

Mark Eydelshteyn plays Ivan, an immature young man who would rather party than make something of his life.

Yurn Borisov, Karren Karagulian, and Vache Tovmasyan have more nuanced portrayals than you think in their performances as henchmen and Armenian handlers. They spend a lot of time arguing and trying to explain the situation in this epic and violent home invasion. The home invasion took 10 days to film because every moment had to be carefully planned.

Shoutout also goes to the actresses playing strip club workers. These were my favorite interactions and part of me wishes that this storyline had more screen time.

The second half of the film swiftly changes from romance into a comedy-mob scenario. The henchmen have no choice but to take Anora with them in a hectic search for Ivan. Nobody knows where they are going, adding to the stress and tension. The manic editing and profuse arguing reminded me of Uncut Gems.

I admit that I felt like walking out a couple of times because I thought it was pointless, but if Anora had been filmed in any other style, the film would not have gotten its point across. The quartet spends hours trying to locate Ivan, bursting into stores, walking along the pier, and even having a vomiting episode in the car. That was the most disgusting part!

Sean Baker highlights subtle behavior and emphasizes raw indispensable layers in his direction. Inspired by a similar story, Baker wanted to humanize Anora’s themes and most importantly put sex workers in a better light than how they’ve been judged by the world Pay close attention to the character's interactions, infusing how they feel about each other.

Under the loud and abrasive nature of Anora lies a story of sadness. When there’s a quiet scene (which is rare) all the stress and emotions breathe out. The final scene is up to interpretation but reactions from the characters hit me. We’re all trying to find love and be accepted, which some people have not been given.

In no way is Anora for all audiences, containing sex, nudity, and perverse language. This movie has stayed on my mind as I now understand the story’s meaning. If Anora appeals to you, go see it in theaters.