Sean Baker’s most recent film Anora has garnered recent attention from the film industry, winning the 2025 Academy Award for Best Picture, among several others. This film tells the story of exotic dancer Ani (Mikey Madison) who marries Russian oligarch Vanya (Mark Eydelshteyn).
For me this film was a letdown. Having seen Baker’s The Florida Project (2017) I initially had high hopes. A Cinderella-esq story where themes of poverty, wealth, and sex work are explored from a prominent director sounded incredible.
My main problem with this film was its pacing. The first third of the movie flows, we see Ani at work, meeting Vanya, spending more time with him, and eventually them getting married. Once his family found out that their marriage took place everything started to drag. Scenes began to feel hours long, the party searching for Vanya stretched forever. The sudden change in pace felt jarring, a weird break from the beginning of the film.
Casting and performances were spot on. Mikey Madison was incredible as the confident Ani, and Mark Eydelshteyn was also good as the immature Russian oligarch Vanya. The cast is primarily Russian and Armenian actors. Notable performances include Yuriy Borisov as Igor, Vache Tovmasyan as Garnik, and Daria Ekamasova as Galina.
Overall, I rate this film 3/5. While it is a good premise and storyline, discussing topics of sex work and wealth, it was overshadowed by its pacing. Anora is available to stream on Hulu and to purchase on YouTube.
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