Survivors Speak Out: What Anora Gets Wrong about the Commercial Sex Trade

Anora has garnered national attention, winning 5 of the 6 awards it was nominated for at The Oscars, including Best Picture. Despite being praised for destigmatizing the commercial sex trade, it has glossed over the harsh and nuanced experiences of survivors of human trafficking. 

Taina Bien-Aimé, Executive Director of the Coalition Against Trafficking in Women (CATW) shared what the film fails to address:

“In real life, almost all prostituted people have traumatic histories of childhood sexual abuse, homelessness, or are sex trafficking victims, a legal status that doesn’t evaporate when one turns 18. Other than showing us that Ani is fatigued and prone to trigger-fast anger, we know nothing of Ani’s path that led her to a brothel. To his credit, Baker doesn’t glamorize the sordidness of Headquarters, nor the men who pick women like candy off a shelf to satisfy their sexual kinks…But Baker does not touch on the brutal realities of the multi-billion-dollar global sex trade and its inherent violence.”

Films like Anora, Taken, and Pretty Woman can be harmful in perpetuating stereotypes about commercial sex work, what those who engage in it look like, and normalizing sex buyers. We spoke with lived-experience experts including PACT’s Survivors’ Council member, Katrina Massey, and 2025 Freedom Awards honoree, Bekah Charleston, about their thoughts on the success of the film.

Here’s what they had to say: 

Q: What message does this send? How does a film like this miss the mark in accurately portraying the complexities and challenges faced by survivors of trafficking? 

“The character Anora lacks depth and has little to no backstory, which often deceives and leads viewers to assume those in the sex trade are there by choice. The full spectrum of her experience is erased. Although she appears to operate with some level of free will and autonomy, this is deceptive and disregards the hardships and vulnerabilities that can lead to trafficking and exploitation. It also ignores the violence, abuse, and degradation experienced in "the life,” as well as the challenges that exist when exiting the sex trade. Such a dangerous storyline misleads the youth into thinking life in the sex trade will lead to their knight in shining armor. The sex trade is not a fairytale.” -Katrina Massey

“Romanticizing and glorifying the commercial sex trade perpetuates the Pretty Woman syndrome that so many young girls fall prey to. So many believe they will eventually find their Richard Gere among the men who purchase them for sex. The harsh reality of the sex trade is diminishing returns though, which leads people trapped to riskier behaviors thereby reducing their chances of ever getting out. While I was being trafficked, I had no hope for a future that didn't revolve around my body being sold.

Movies like Anora sell a false version of the commercial sex trade. As a survivor of more than a decade of being exploited, I can speak to the violence and horrors I faced daily at the hands of sex buyers. They want you to believe prostitution is about women's empowerment and control over their own bodies, but the truth is that it is about the power and control privileged men have over the most disadvantaged and disenfranchised among us.” -Bekah Charleston

To learn more, watch this panel about how films are shaping perceptions about commercial sex work, trafficking, and exploitation.