A movie which won 5 Oscars should be quite a good one and definitely worth my time right? So why did Anora leave me wanting for more?
What? What? What? Did you not hear what I said? I said it’s ’cause your son’s a fucking pussy. – Ani
Even though I was largely out of the loop during this year’s Oscar season, I was still rooting hard for Demi Moore to win for her role in The Substance. Instead, the award went to Mikey Madison for portraying the titular character in Anora.
I say this up front because I went into Anora fully intending to compare Madison’s performance to Moore’s. There’s no point in pretending otherwise. And I’ll be honest: I walked away disappointed. Not because Madison was bad, her performance was solid, but because Moore’s work went beyond just delivering a script. She transcended the role, while Madison felt more confined by the material.
That said, Anora isn’t a bad film. I actually enjoyed watching it. One standout for me was Igor, played by Yura Borisov—a thug with a surprisingly soft heart. Borisov nailed the balance between rough and tender, adding unexpected depth to a character who could’ve easily been a stereotype.
At its core, though, Anora still feels like a movie about a woman written through the male gaze. Directed and written by Sean Baker, it places a volatile, emotionally intense female protagonist — who happens to be a stripper and sex worker — at the center of a familiar narrative: a woman chasing the dream of marrying into wealth.
Plot-wise, the film was more surprising and entertaining than I expected. The ending, in particular, left a strong impression. It leaves us wondering: what really happened to Anora? How did she navigate the chaos of a shotgun wedding? And of course — what became of her and Igor?
METTEL RAY 
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