Red Rocket (2021)

As a huge fan of Sean Baker’s Tangerine, The Florida Project, and Red Rocket, I’ve wanted to watch Anora since before it even was released. But life got in the way, my watchlist grew, and honestly, the fact that it was marketed as a romantic comedy put me off. Even with all the critical praise and the five Academy Awards it won last year, I just kept postponing it indefinitely.

When Netflix added it last week, I finally took the plunge and watched it. Now I realize that I’ve been letting my genre bias keep me away from what is easily one of the best films of the last ten years. And while I’m aware I might look down on romantic comedies because they're usually riddled with clichés, I’ve never held any prejudice against sex workers, who are always at the heart of Sean Baker’s stories. It's actually the main reason I love his work so much; he treats the subject with real compassion and genuine respect.