'Anora' Success Has Been Touted as a "Victory" in Russia — The Controversy, Explained

Spoiler alert: This article contains spoilers for the film Anora.

When the Oscar nods were announced for the 2025 Academy Awards, one film kept raking in nomination after nomination: Anora. Produced by Neon and directed by Sean Baker, the film was a smash hit from the minute it aired at the Cannes Film Festival.

However, the controversy surrounding Anora has less to do with the film itself and more to do with the environment it was released in and the subject matter it contains. Here's what we know about the Anora controversy and why the film has captured hearts and fury all at the same time.

Anora is one of those films that can be painfully relatable for many despite having a protagonist who might otherwise be unrelatable. In the film, the eponymous main character, Anora (Mikey Madison), falls in love with the privileged son of a Russian oligarch named Ivan "Vanya" (Mark Eydelshteyn).

Anora's day-to-day struggles as a sex worker in New York make her instantly relatable; everyone has bills they struggle to pay, after all.

In the film, Anora seems to fall in love with Vanya's wealth as much as the man himself, and the young Russian socialite enjoys showing her off and spending time with her. They eventually marry before Vanya's parents tear the whole thing down and she's forced to return to New York with empty hands.

This film was hailed as a "success" by Russian media. It was portrayed as a win for a Russian couple longing to keep their son free of the influence of Westernized society.

As such, the triumph of the film in Russian cinema made it a sore spot for American viewers who have been aghast at the multi-year Russian invasion of Ukraine.

For the film to be released in an increasingly tense climate of Russian aggression, many called the film's timing in "poor taste" or accused it of being "Pro-Russian propaganda."

Nonetheless, the film itself couldn't help but capture hearts. Anora's struggle is relatable as wealth inequity grows at staggering rates in the United States, and her dreams of breaking out of the rat race make her an empathetic protagonist.

The way she is discarded and dismissed by the wealthy elite is an encapsulation of how the average working American feels ignored and often exploited by the elite wealthiest in the world.

The film's ending left people with as many questions as answers, and the vagueness was intentional. Anora didn't get her happy ending with Vanya. Instead, she ended the film weeping in the arms of Igor (Yura Burisov), one of the henchmen of Vanya's parents.

In an interview with Indiewire, writer and director Sean Baker said of the film's ending, "It’s designed in a way that allows for different interpretations."

Sean shared that he and his wife, producer Samantha Quan, mused of the film's ending, "I don’t think we’re never going to state it ourselves, what we’re feeling."

Samantha added, “Everyone seems to have a strong reaction to it regardless of what they think is happening."

So not only does the film come in the midst of high-stakes international tensions and shine a light on wealth inequity in a rapidly widening gulf of inequality, but it also forces viewers to think, wonder, and speculate as the film concludes.

In a way, Anora hits the trifecta of a perfect film: buzz, heart, and intrigue.