By Max Rekela Jasper
April 21, 2025
What makes Anora stand out from all the other 2024 releases (at least the ones I’ve seen) is that writer/director Sean Baker has immense respect for the audience, allowing them to go on a wild, uncensored ride with no restrictions whatsoever. This bravery shows that Baker truly wants the audience to feel like they aren’t watching a movie but experiencing a slice of life.
There were several instances during my viewing of Anora where I was blown away by how real everything seemed, no matter how absurd it was. For example, right after Ivan “Vanya” Zarkharov (Mark Eydelshteyn) abandons Ani (Mikey Madison) at their mansion with Garnik (Vache Tovmasyan) and Igor (Yuriy Borisov), Ani does everything she can to escape but is subdued by Igor. She screams, kicks, and bites yet cannot escape due to Igor’s firm grasp. Then, when Toros (Karren Karagulian) arrives, the situation escalates due to Ani’s fear and confusion. Seeing the three frustrated Russians scramble to subdue Ani while simultaneously expressing their disdain for Ivan was as entertaining as it was hilarious. From my perspective, it seemed as if the actors had an abundance of adrenaline while filming this sequence, which ultimately elevated it for me.
In fact, Anora would not be what it is without its stellar performances. Mikey Madison’s portrayal of Ani is one of, if not the best, performances I have seen in recent years. I know I have a tendency to commend good acting quite a bit, but Madison’s performance was far beyond anything I’ve seen recently. Her portrayal of Ani felt so effortless, as if some internal part of herself was actually Ani. Her innate sense of awareness in the role definitely earned her that Academy Award for Best Leading Actress.
Madison’s performance isn’t the only one that’s spectacular; in fact, I’d say every performance in this film felt genuine and authentic. While Yuriy Borisov deserved his nomination for Best Supporting Actor, I actually enjoyed Karren Karagulian’s performance as the frustrated Toros more. With Karagulian’s portrayal, I could tell how visibly determined he was to find Ivan, thanks to his mannerisms and the way he spoke to bystanders, as if they were inconveniencing him.
Writing and acting aside, the entertaining, visually appealing film has an ambiguous ending that left many (including myself) confused about its meaning in the grand scheme of the story. After some deep thinking, I feel as if I have a grasp—not a full interpretation, but a grasp—on the ambiguous ending. However, it requires some insight into what I believe to be the core theme of the film: control.
From start to finish, Anora is a film about control. Ani’s job as a sex worker is to let aroused men believe they are in control when, in reality, she is the one in control. She flirts with men daily, giving them lap dances, yet acts like she respects them when she does not. In fact, there’s a scene at the beginning of the film where Ani and her friend Lulu (Luna Sofia Miranda) discuss how disparaging some of the customers are due to their disgusting requests. This quick discussion, held during a smoke break, perfectly illustrates how some men view sex workers merely as objects for their pleasure rather than as actual human beings.
Once Ani meets Ivan, she leads him to believe he is in control, but that changes when Ivan unexpectedly proposes to her in Las Vegas, and the two get married. As Ivan’s wife, Ani loses the control she had over him but gains a big mansion and all the money she could ever want to compensate for that. It’s unclear whether Ani loves Ivan for who he is or for his money. Ivan was most definitely a toxic partner through and through, yet I feel Ani genuinely loved him for who he was because he was likely the first man (in a long while) to pretend to genuinely care for her. Perhaps Ani’s naivety prevented her from seeing Ivan’s true colors right away, or perhaps she was blinded by greed; I’m not too sure.
When Ivan abandons Ani, she is then controlled by Garnik, Igor, and Toros. She puts up a big fight but eventually succumbs to Toros’ agreement to find Ivan and annul the marriage. While searching for Ivan, Ani is still controlled by the three but has more freedom.
When they eventually find Ivan, she tries to control him, but her efforts are thwarted by Diamond’s (Lindsey Normington) repeated insults and battering. Ani then attacks Diamond with rage and frustration at the entire day’s events, all directed at Diamond. Her fight with Diamond is when she realizes she has lost control of her life and that her life will likely never be the same again.
After that, she meets Ivan’s mother (Darya Ekamasova), where she tries to regain control of her life with Ivan, only to find out that Ivan was, in fact, using her as a means of rebelling against his parents and not because he cared about her. Because of this, Ani refuses to board the airplane and threatens to sue the Zakharov family for the emotional distress they caused her, but Ivan’s mother coldly retorts, telling her she would lose everyone and everything she cared about if she did that. As Ani’s last attempt at control fails, she sits on the airplane, overhears Ivan’s parents berating him, and then joins in, but it seemingly goes nowhere.
After the divorce is official, Ani is finally free of control. She tells Ivan’s mother Ivan’s true feelings about him, leaving in a blaze of glory as Ivan’s father laughs, much to the chagrin of his family.
Yet, Ani’s story doesn’t end there. Instead, she spends time with Igor, who has been nothing but kind to her, yet Ani is too distracted by the chaotic events to acknowledge him. As the two smoke and recall the events of the past few days, Ani questions Igor about his control, to which Igor tells her he would not lose control and that all he was trying to do was keep Ani under control but struggled due to Ani’s lack of control.
The next day, Igor drives Ani home and gives her the wedding ring Ivan had purchased for her. This leads Ani to initiate sex with him but then stops when he tries to kiss her, leading her to sob in his arms.
So, with Ani’s control of her life constantly shifting throughout the film, what does the ending mean?
I believe the ending depicts someone who has shielded themselves from love for so long, only to be heartbroken when true love did not work out because they were used as a means of rebellion. After Igor attempts to kiss Ani, she rejects it, possibly reminded of the weight of her experience. She feels exhausted, humiliated, and abandoned. She finally lets out her true feelings, allowing herself to regain control of her life after what seemed like an eternity.
Undeniably, Anora stands as the greatest film of 2024, deserving every bit of its flawless five-star rating.