Anora
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Synopsis
Contemporary cinema’s foremost chronicler of American dreamers and schemers hustling on the margins of capitalist promise, Sean Baker, reaches new heights of mastery with this audacious anti–Cinderella story—a whirlwind neorealist screwball comedy with an aching heart. In an electric, star-is-born performance, Mikey Madison soars as Anora, an enterprising, ferociously foulmouthed Brooklyn erotic dancer and sex worker whose Prince Not-So-Charming comes along in the form of a Russian oligarch’s wild-child son (Mark Eydelshteyn). This is the beginning of a fractured fairy tale—also featuring standout performances from Karren Karagulian, Yura Borisov, and Vache Tovmasyan—that turns the cruel realities of class inside out. Winner of the Palme d’Or at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, Anora confirms Baker as one of our preeminent auteurs.
Picture 9/10
Sean Baker’s Anora (winner of the 2025 Academy Award for Best Picture) comes to 4K UHD courtesy of The Criterion Collection, presented on a triple-layer UHD disc in 2160p at 24hz with HDR10. A standard dual-layer Blu-ray is also included, featuring the film in 1080p, along with a second single-layer disc that houses all of the video features.
Though the film was ultimately completed digitally, Anora was shot on 35mm film and employs several old-school techniques—like flashing the film stock—to achieve its look. With the film being so recent and Criterion likely working directly from a studio-supplied master, the presentation unsurprisingly looks great. The scan of the film elements hasn’t introduced any digital artifacts, and Criterion’s encode is up to snuff, delivering a crisp image with remarkable detail. This clarity carries through the film’s fine but prominent grain structure, which is rendered cleanly and lends the presentation a welcome filmic texture, something that's nice to see for a modern film. A few specks of dirt and stray hairs appear here and there (likely baked into the scan or introduced during production and left untouched, possibly by choice), but no other issues pop up.
Despite its gritty tone, Anora is a very colorful film, and the HDR10 grading makes the most of it. The club sequences in particular stand out: shrouded in deep shadows and rich blacks, they’re enhanced by vivid bursts of color from lighting rigs and neon signage. The dynamic range is impressive, allowing everything from dim ambient tones to eye-popping reds to come through cleanly without any obvious clipping or crush. The Las Vegas section offers a different but equally striking look, with the bright lights of the Strip showcasing the format’s ability to handle intense highlights while maintaining detail in surrounding darkness. According to the filmmakers (via the included commentary), the nighttime New York sequences were shot using flashed film stock to compensate for the limited natural lighting, possibly explaining why some of those moments look a bit flatter or less dynamic. Even so, they remain clean and perfectly suited to the atmosphere of those scenes.
It’s a new film, but Anora’s 4K presentation still managed to surpass my expectations: it's clean, vibrant, and filmic.
Audio 8/10
The disc includes a DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack that suits the film perfectly. Dialogue and most sound effects are concentrated in the front channels, keeping things clean and focused, but the mix expands nicely into the surrounds whenever music enters the picture, whether it’s part of the score or playing within the scene, as in the club sequences. Bass is deep and impactful when called for, delivering a solid punch without ever overwhelming the rest of the mix.
The overall range is wide and sharply defined. Music is still the standout and can be loud, but the balance remains intact, with dialogue staying clear and intelligible throughout. Ambient details—like the hum of an airplane, the bustle of the streets, or the acoustics of the courtroom—are subtly placed across the soundfield.
It’s a strong, well-constructed mix, and an excellent match for the film.
Extras 8/10
Criterion throws together a solid special edition for the film, starting with two newly recorded audio commentaries, both available on the 4K and 1080p presentations.
The first commentary features director Sean Baker, producers Alex Coco and Samantha Quan, and cinematographer Drew Daniels. It’s the more technical of the two tracks, delving into the production process and Baker’s filmmaking methods. The group discusses the equipment used—from lenses to lighting—and their approach to low-light scenes, including flashing the negative. Daniels admits he was skeptical anything would be usable, but thankfully, it all came out looking great. There’s also plenty of talk around the challenges of working on a modest budget, like having to shoot quickly inside rented private jets (which were wildly expensive to rent, even grounded) and Baker literally getting on his hands and knees to beg police not to shut down production when a permit lapsed. Baker is frequently self-deprecating (as he’s been on previous commentaries) and does get a bit too hard on himself, particularly when lamenting a missed angle during editing that still haunts him, but there's a certain charm to it. The group also points out cameos from actors in Baker’s earlier films and shares amusing stories, including one about extras who stole costumes for the film and never came back.
The second track is looser and more anecdotal, with Baker joined by cast members Mikey Madison and Karren Karagulian (recorded together), while Yura Borisov, Mark Eydelshteyn, and Vache Tovmasyan were recorded separately and edited in. Madison discusses developing her character through improvisation and research, including conversations with real dancers and sex workers—some of whom appear in the film. She choreographed the dance her character performs for Ivan, a scene Baker originally saw as throwaway but credits her with turning into something memorable. Karagulian praises Baker’s attention to detail in portraying Russian and Armenian communities, while Baker name-drops influences like Richard Lester’s The Knack. Tovmasyan is a scene-stealer throughout the track, sharing funny stories about his experience, including how he fell in love with New York.
Both tracks complement each other well and, impressively, avoid much overlap. They're also both very entertaining.
The 4K disc and the first standard Blu-ray include only the film and commentaries; the remaining video features are housed on a third disc, a standard single-layer Blu-ray.
Kicking things off is a 10-minute introduction by Sean Baker, who reflects on the origins and inspirations behind Anora. Somewhat surprisingly, it was Karren Karagulian and the Armenian community that first sparked the idea, but it wasn’t until Baker cast Mikey Madison—after seeing her in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and the Scream reboot—that the story began to take shape. At that point, he only had a basic structure and an ending in mind. Baker also shares a wide array of cinematic influences, including Nights of Cabiria, the original Swept Away, Female Prisoner #701: Scorpion (which he had Madison watch), The Taking of Pelham One Two Three, and The French Connection, where the last two served more to help define the film’s look. Godard’s Contempt is also mentioned for its influence on Anora’s recurring use of the color red.
A newly recorded 13-minute conversation between Baker and Madison follows. Produced by Criterion, it captures the two reflecting on the development of the film. Baker explains his decision to open Anora in the sex club, wanting to immerse viewers in that world from the start, while Madison shares more about her training and research, including speaking with dancers. They also touch on the film’s sound design—particularly its overlapping dialogue recorded from a distance, a nod to Robert Altman (Criterion even inserts a clip from The Player for comparison). The two also cover building Anora’s Brooklyn accent, shifting Madison away from her natural California tone. The piece then ends on a charming note, with Baker and Madison introducing their dogs—Bunson and Jam—to each other on camera.
All fairly solid so far, but the standout feature on the disc may end up being Anora: Stripped Down, a 67-minute behind-the-scenes documentary composed of smartphone footage shot by cast and crew. Edited roughly in shooting order, it offers an impressively candid look at the production process, from rehearsals and location walkthroughs to last-minute planning sessions. Interspersed interviews provide context, but the real value lies in the fly-on-the-wall glimpses of the more mundane aspects of the day-to-day work, such as tent setups to protect exposed film from light, or mounting cameras on cars for driving scenes. It even includes footage of Baker editing the film on his laptop just hours before the Cannes submission deadline, underlining how tight the timeline really was.
Several additional features round out the set and add more context around the film's reception. A 42-minute recording of the Cannes press conference offers more insight into the production, with Baker acknowledging his continued interest in stories about sex work and Madison discussing the care taken to ensure intimacy on set felt safe and respectful. Baker also notes that he didn’t fully recognize the parallels to Pretty Woman until later. A 36-minute Q&A following a screening—moderated by dancer Laura Arbios—features Madison and actor-dancer Lindsey Normington. The two discuss character development and authenticity, with Normington praising the film’s attention to small, accurate details. Also included are seven minutes of deleted scenes—mostly trims, though one between Anora and her sister directly suggests Ivan’s green card motivations—15 minutes of audition footage with supporting cast members, and three trailers.
The film is still new, so I wasn’t expecting academic material, but the included booklet does add some weight. Designed like a more adult film magazine with the hint of an old-school escort directory, it includes a strong, lengthy essay by Dennis Lim. All around, a nicely assembled set of features.
Closing
Criterion’s special edition of Anora delivers a terrific A/V presentation and a strong set of supplements well worth exploring. An easy recommendation for fans of the film.
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