Pleasure

In honor of Women’s History Month, I’m guest writing this week’s film section to recommend Ninja Thyberg’s PLEASURE, an intimate film about a newcomer on the L.A. porn scene. I saw PLEASURE at Sundance in January and truly have not stopped thinking about it since (and not just because it has to do with porn and is extremely graphic). 

PLEASURE is everything I could want in a movie. It’s as powerful as it is disturbing, as entertaining as it is thought-provoking, and as stylistic as it is substantive. Every directorial choice furthers the narrative and deepens the audience's understanding of the characters and themes. Especially the way Thyberg pairs classical music with mirrors, different lenses, and social media to explore gender/sexual performativity. But ultimately, the graciousness of Thyberg’s direction, particularly in the moments of tenderness that punctuate the violence, make it a must-see. 

—Lucy Putnam, Creative Exec