What Oscar Bounce? ‘Anora’ Stumbles Despite Best Picture Win

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“Anora” failed to draw a crowd during last year’s busy awards season.

Sean Baker’s independent movie garnered numerous critical acclaim and awards, but many audiences chose to pass on watching the R-rated film. The film had grossed approximately $16 million in its run in theaters after several months.

It appears that viewers are not particularly keen on watching excessive scenes of sex, violence, and themes related to prostitution.

Er, sex working.

That could have changed post-Oscar night. The March 2 ceremony crowned “Anora” as 2024’s Best Picture. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences also gave it four other statuettes, including honors for Best Director (Baker), Best Original Screenplay (Baker, again) and Best Actress (Mikey Madison).

What happened next?

“Anora” entered the Top 10 last weekend, adding $1.8 million to the film’s coffers. Not much of a bounce. This weekend, the Oscar winner lost 876 screens and fell nearly 65 percent. The movie added $640,000 to its U.S. haul.

Baker’s film has been available via digital platforms for several weeks, but films sometimes thrive both in theaters and on VOD.

Not “Anora,” apparently.

This week, the film will be added to Hulu’s streaming library. That should mark the end of its theatrical life and give subscribers a chance to see what the fuss is all about.

Does the Oscars’ receding clout explain the tepid box office bump? Or, is another factor in play?

Ask Bill Maher.

The host of “Real Time with Bill Maher” has a bone to pick with “Anora.” His words might reflect the public’s attitude toward the film.

He noted Madison’s acceptance speech in which she paid tribute to the sex worker community. He questioned when people stopped referring to sex workers as prostitutes. More curious? Why are stars showering the profession with praise?

‘Wow, three weeks ago it was a bunch of h*es and now it’s a community? … If it’s such an important liberal cause, why didn’t you do it 10 years ago or 20 or in 1975?’ he asked.

‘A few years ago, the New York Post ran a story about a paramedic who couldn’t make ends meet and so started an OnlyFans to pay her bills, and then got publicly shamed for it. And Congresswoman [Alexandria] Ocasio-Cortez tweeted in her defense, “Sex work is work,”‘ Maher went on.

Moreover, we’re saying sex work is work. It’s kind of like saying slavery is work, strictly speaking. But is that really the message we want to be sending?’

Could it be that this clarifies the gap between an Academy Award recipient and a typical citizen like John Q. Public? Additionally, the dwindling influence of the Oscars might have also contributed to this disconnect.

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2025-03-17 05:05