Overview:
Title: Pleasure
Year: 2021
Running Time: 107 minutes
Country: Sweden

Director:

Ninja Thyberg
Screenwriters:
Ninja Thyberg, Peter Modestij
Cast:

• Sofia Kappel
  
  as Bella
• Revika Anne Reustle as Joy
• Jason Toler as Mike
• Alice Grey as Aliah
• Michael Omelko as Jules
• Evelyn Claire as Ava
• Dana De Armond
  
  as Ashley
• Kendra Spade
  
  as Kimberly

Music:
Karl Frid
Cinematography:
Sophie Winqvist
Production Companies:
A joint venture between Sweden, the Netherlands, and France, produced by Platform Production, Film I Väst, Flamboyance Films, Lemming Film, Logical Pictures, and supported by the Swedish Film Institute and the Netherlands Film Production Incentive.

Genre:
Drama | Sexuality & Pornography | Remake

Synopsis:
Jessica, a 20-year-old from a small town in Sweden, relocates to Los Angeles with dreams of becoming a prominent star in the adult film industry. However, the journey to achieve her ambitions turns out to be much more complicated than she had expected.

Rankings:

• #113 Best Swedish Movies
• #129 Best Non-Animated Movies of 2021
• #149 Best Movies of 2021

Awards:

• Nominated for Best International Independent Film at the 2021 British Independent Film Awards (BIFA)
• Competed in the World Cinema Dramatic section at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival
• Nominations for Best Director and Best Supporting Actor at the 2021 Independent Spirit Awards
• Awarded the FIPRESCI Prize at the 2021 Göteborg Film Festival
• Received a nomination at the 2021 European Film Awards
• Won Best Actress (Sofia Kappel), Best Costume Design, and Best Make-Up at the 2021 Guldbagge Awards (Sweden), with a total of 7 nominations

Critical Reviews:

• Owen Gleiberman from Variety commented that the film provides an unfiltered, unsettlingly realistic view of the modern adult film industry.
• Gregory Ellwood from The Playlist praised Sofia Kappel for delivering a captivating debut performance that stands out beyond the movie's pornographic setting.
• Leslie Felperin of The Hollywood Reporter mentioned that the film walks a delicate balance, though other projects like The Deuce offer more depth in this thematic space.
• Carlos Aguilar of rogerebert.com described the film as shocking but never excessive, with Kappel’s performance brilliantly blurring the lines between fiction and reality.
• Adrian Horton of The Guardian called the film a compelling and surprisingly fresh take, rating it 3 out of 5 stars.
• Wendy Ide from Screendaily noted that the film's depiction of the adult film industry felt authentic, partly due to the casting of real industry figures.
• Fabien Lemercier from Cineuropa remarked that the film’s unflinching depiction of the industry makes it seem far more raw and gritty compared to earlier portrayals like those in Boogie Nights.