After a phenomenal reception at the Cannes Film Festival where it won the coveted Palme d'Or, is Sean Baker's latest movie Anora on track for a Best Picture nomination?
The Palme d'Or is one of the most prestigious prizes in all of cinema and in recent years has been a harbinger for Best Picture nominations, as three of the four most recent Cannes winners (Anatomy of a Fall, Triangle of Sadness and Parasite) were then feted by the Academy (in the case of Parasite, it also went on to win the Best Picture). Another feather in Anora's cap is that it is the first US movie to win the Palme d'Or since 2011's The Tree of Life, which also was nominated for Best Picture.
However, we won't officially know if Anora can convert its Palme win to a Best Picture nomination until winter 2025. But here is what we do know about the movie, including how you can watch it, who's in it and more.
Anora how to watch
Anora is now playing exclusively in movie theaters in the US, UK and elsewhere around the world. For more information here's how to watch Anora.
Anora cast
Leading the way for Anora is Mikey Madison as the titular Anora. Madison is a star on the rise, with plenty of noteworthy credits to her name already, including Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, The Addams Family, Scream and the TV series Better Things. She is also set to star in the upcoming summer TV series Lady in the Lake.
The other two main cast members in Anora are Yuriy Borisov (Compartment Number 6) and Mark Eydelshteyn (Strana Sasha). IMDb lists other members of the cast, including Ivy Wolk, Karren Karagulian, Darya Ekamasova, Lindsey Normington and Vache Tovmasyan.
Anora plot
As he has done with all of his movies, Sean Baker pulled double duty directing and writing Anora. Here is the official synopsis for Anora:
"Anora, a young sex worker from Brooklyn, gets her chance at a Cinderella story when she meets and impulsively marries the son of an oligarch. Once the news reaches Russia, her fairytale is threatened as the parents set out for New York to get the marriage annulled."
Anora trailer
The Anora trailer is here, with both a redband and greenband version. Watch either (or both) directly below.
Another trailer for Anora was made available online a week ahead of its premiere:
Anora reviews
In addition to the Cannes jury liking the movie, critics love Anora as well. Anora is "Certified Fresh" on Rotten Tomatoes with a 96% positive score from critics and "Verified Hot" with 90% approval from general audiences.
Anora awards
Here is a roundup of all the major awards and nominations that Anora has earned to date:
Golden Globes
- Best Motion Picture Comedy/Musical (nominee)
- Best Actress Comedy/Musical — Mike Madison (nominee)
- Best Supporting Actor — Yura Borisov (nominee)
- Best Director — Sean Baker (nominee)
- Best Screenplay — Sean Baker (nominee)
Cannes Film Festival
- Palme d'Or (winner)
Boston Society of Film Critics
- Best Picture (winner)
- Best Director — Sean Baker (winner)
- Best Actress — Mikey Madison (winner)
- Best Original Screenplay — Sean Baker (winner)
British Independent Film Awards
- Best International Independent Film (winner)
Critics Choice Awards
- Best Picture (nominee)
- Best Actress — Mikey Madison (nominee)
- Best Supporting Actor — Yura Borisov (nominee)
- Best Acting Ensemble (nominee)
- Best Director — Sean Baker (nominee)
- Best Original Screenplay — Sean Baker (nominee)
- Best Editing (nominee)
Gotham Awards
- Best Feature (nominee)
- Outstanding Lead Performance — Mikey Madison (nominee)
- Outstanding Supporting Performance — Yura Borisov (nominee)
- Best Director — Sean Baker (nominee)
Independent Spirit Awards
- Best Feature (nominee)
- Best Director — Sean Baker (nominee)
- Best Lead Performance — Mikey Madison (nominee)
- Best Supporting Performance — Yura Borisov (nominee)
- Best Supporting Performance — Karren Karagulian (nominee)
London Critics Circle Film Awards
- Film of the Year (nominee)
- Director of the Year — Sean Baker (nominee)
- Actress of the Year — Mikey Madison (nominee)
- Supporting Actor of the Year — Yura Borisov (nominee)
- Screenwriter of the Year — Sean Baker (nominee)
- Breakthrough Performer — Mikey Madison (nominee)
- Technical Achievement Award — Stunts (nominee)
Los Angeles Film Critics Association
- Best Picture (winner)
- Best Director — Sean Baker (runner-up)
- Best Leading Performance — Mikey Madison (co-winner)
- Best Supporting Performance — Yura Borisov (co-winner)
- Best Screenplay — Sean Baker (runner-up)
National Board of Review
- Breakthrough Performance — Mikey Madison (winner)
- Top 10 Film
New York Film Critics Circle Awards
- Best Screenplay — Sean Baker (winner)
Sean Baker movies
Sean Baker is a fixture of independent film circles, though his movies have been getting more widespread attention in recent years. Here is a full rundown of his feature-length movies:
- Four Letter Words (2000)
- Take Out (2004)
- Prince of Broadway (2008)
- Starlet (2012)
- Tangerine (2015)
- The Florida Project (2017)
- Red Rocket (2021)
