Anora, Stripped Down: Critically Reflecting on the Portrayal of Sex Work in Contemporary Media

Anora (2024) is a film about a stripper from Brooklyn whose world collides with that of an immensely rich Oligarch’s son (Ivan). First impressions of the film might describe it as a new age reiteration of ‘Pretty Woman’, as we follow Annie (Anora) through the experience of this new world she is abruptly pulled into. This critical reflection seeks to deconstruct the complex narrative of sex work in Anora by integrating contemporary sociological theory to break down Anora as a “contemporary cultural product” (Gill, 2007: 148). This commentary is henceforth structured around prominent themes relating to contemporary sex work: Stigma of sex work, sex worker identities and practices; Feminist deliberation around sex work and embodied sexual identities; and the Neoliberal sexual subject.