Pleasure film review: A striking debut that astutely reframes the conversation around the porn industry

Get our free weekly email for all the latest cinematic news from our film critic Clarisse Loughrey Get our The Life Cinematic email for free Get our The Life Cinematic email for free SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. A feature-length extension of the short Thyberg directed in 2013, and the end of a lengthy exploration that stemmed from the director’s former anti-porn roots, Pleasure astutely reframes the conversation around the industry. And Kappel’s astounding performance constantly draws the film’s energy back to her in a way that ensures the audience is never in doubt of Linnea’s own agency, even in her most vulnerable moments. The phrase “sex work is work”, in the context of Pleasure, isn’t presented as mere performative solidarity – it’s a sincere call to look at the industry for what it is, and how it’s driven by the same struggles against worker exploitation that affect everyone else. It’s a difficult, horrible scene to watch – placed in stark comparison to the positive, supportive experience Linnea has on a BDSM set overseen by a female director, Aiden Starr.