Pleasure
A Swedish teenager pursues porn-star fame in Los Angeles and discovers how ambition, consent, and power collide inside a relentlessly exploitative industry.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- raw
- uncomfortable
- intimate
- arthouse film night
- social issue discussion
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film's strikingly realistic, uncomfortable portrait of the pornography industry and Sofia Kappel's committed lead performance.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Bella's career in the porn industry repeatedly places her ambition against male control, professional pressure, and compromised consent.
Porn set scenes are presented with strikingly realistic detail and an uncomfortable observational texture.
Bella arrives in Los Angeles determined to become a successful porn star while confronting gendered competition and industry power structures.
The film explores the pornography industry from Bella's female point of view, balancing human observation with occasional humor.
Films like Pleasure, and why
The Assistant
shares an intimate, socially conscious examination of female exploitation, ambition, and power within a patriarchal system
The Souvenir
shares raw social realism, a young woman navigating precarious work, and an uncomfortable critique of institutional power
Red Rocket
shares an unflinching female perspective on sexuality, economic pressure, and bodily autonomy
American Honey
shares documentary influenced realism and a candid portrait of an outsider pursuing ambition in an exploitative industry
Movie Details
- Director
- Ninja Thyberg
- Release Date
- 2021-10-08
- Runtime
- 108 min
- Rating
- 6.3 / 10 (826)
Cast
- Sofia Kappel
- Zelda Morrison
- Tee Reel
- Evelyn Claire
- Chris Cock
- Dana DeArmond
- Kendra Spade
- Mark Spiegler
- Eva Melander
- Lucy Hart
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Pleasure about?
- A Swedish teenager pursues porn-star fame in Los Angeles and discovers how ambition, consent, and power collide inside a relentlessly exploitative industry.
- What is Pleasure like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Pleasure as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Pleasure violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Pleasure as mild.
- What did critics think of Pleasure?
- Critics broadly praised the film's strikingly realistic, uncomfortable portrait of the pornography industry and Sofia Kappel's committed lead performance.
- Which films are like Pleasure?
- Films with a similar feel include The Assistant, The Souvenir, Red Rocket, and American Honey.
- How long is Pleasure?
- Pleasure runs 108 minutes.
- Where can I watch Pleasure?
- In United States, Pleasure is available to rent or buy from Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
