For decades, director Sean Baker has been rising in the ranks as an elite filmmaker, finally receiving recognition with his 2024 film “Anora,” winning five of the six Oscars that were nominated. Mikey Madsen walked home with Best Leading Actress, while Sean Baker got Best Picture, Directing, Writing and Editing, giving him the most awards from the Academy in one night for a single person. He’s as close to an auteur as you can get with him directing, writing and editing all eight of the movies he’s made.
Baker’s career began in 2000 with the low-budget indie comedy, “Four Letter Words,” a film about college partying and annoying guys attending. We follow them as they get drunk, break off into separate groups, have conversations and goof around through the night. It’s amateurish, with some editing, directing and writing choices that feel like Baker is cobbling the scenes. It feels plotless but has undeniable merit, with each character more dimensional than they initially appear. Even the most unlikable ones aren’t completely irredeemable or clearly have some reason for acting the way they do.
Sean Baker has been great at writing nuanced characters with lots of shades of gray. Every character draws empathy and there is no clear-cut bad person. Baker trusts the audience to come to their own conclusions. I enjoy seeing his low-budget filmmaking done well.
In the age of Disney blockbusters with nine figure budgets, it’s fascinating to see a low budget director working around their limitations. It is hard to recommend it to people who aren’t already interested in filmmaking, but I find it very enjoyable for what it is.
He continued with a minimal budget for his next films, but with a completely different focus. After “Four Letter Words,” Baker’s films focus on underprivileged and marginalized people, from illegal immigrants to sex workers. “Take Out” (2004) follows a restaurant deliveryman who needs enough money to pay back a loan shark by the end of the day.
“Prince of Broadway” (2008) follows a NYC street hustler selling designer knockoffs until his ex-girlfriend shows up with a baby, insisting he’s the father. Both movies have an even lower 4-digit budget and are shot in a guerilla style, making the viewer feel like they’re someone else in the street watching them go about their day. Both films’ casts are mostly comprised of first-time actors or non-actors who have real life experience.
Even with his newer, higher budget films, Sean Baker hires people who fit a vibe, blending established actors with real, normal people. Both films have a scrappy feel, which has a lot to do with people struggling through the unfair hand they were dealt.
Baker became a name known among cinephiles after he released 2015’s “Tangerine,” a comedy following two trans prostitutes who are best friends during Christmas Eve. Noteworthy for being shot on an iPhone 5s, leading to buzz at various film festivals. The unconventional camera choice didn’t stop the movie from looking great and producing amazing camera movement. The movie’s ending is unique and unforgettable, something professional equipment could not capture. His experimentation paid off with overwhelming critical praise.
His latest work follows the titular character “Anora” 2024, who goes by Ani, a stripper and escort in Brooklyn. Ani meets a wealthy client, expertly played by Mark Eydelshteyn, who is the son of a Russian oligarch. He quickly likes Ani, and during the end of a week in Las Vegas, he proposes, and they have a drive-thru wedding after a short courtship.
It’s obvious how terrible of an idea this is, but the film made me forget its ridiculousness and I was intrigued by the fantasy. They return to Brooklyn and settle into their lives but word spreads to Russia and reaches Vanya’s parents. They find the relationship is shameful and they send their men to annul the marriage. Despite the ridiculous setup and execution of the plot, it still has some serious dramatic chops that keep it grounded and keep the characters feeling incredibly real. You get a good sense of who each person is, their reasoning for their actions and you grow to care about everyone you spend time seeing.
While “Anora” is not a movie you want to watch with your grandma, I think it’s Baker’s most accessible work, though it still falls far from his best. With a $6 million budget, “Anora” is Bakers biggest movie, but and I worry that the increased scope made him zoom out, losing focus on the characters. His characters are his greatest strength and while they’re still great here, it feels noticeably weaker than the best I’ve seen from him.
Some of favorites include “Starlet” (2012), a movie about a girl named Jane who finds a huge wad of money stashed in something she bought from a garage sale. She returns to the garage and attempts to build a relationship with the guarded old woman who sold it to her, and it touchingly ends showing their changing relationship.
“Red Rocket” (2021) follows a washed-up male porn star who moves back to his Texas hometown and tries to live with his estranged wife. I especially don’t want to spoil anything here so I won’t say more other than it can be a difficult watch.
“The Florida Project” (2017) follows young children of homeless families living in motels close to Disney World. You see everything from their point of view and it does a fantastic job capturing the feeling of being a kid that sees something is wrong but can’t fully grasp their situation. Everything is filtered through a sense of innocence that makes the severity of the life they’re forced to live hit so much harder.
I think these three are his most compelling films, which I highly recommend. However, Baker doesn’t have a bad film and it’s valid to start with whatever sounds the most interesting. He’s one of the best directors working and I don’t think you’ll be disappointed if you decide to check him out.