Written and Directed by Ninja Thyberg
Starring Sofia Kappel, Revika Anne Reustle and Evelyn Claire
Running time 1 hour and 45 minutes
Premiered at Sundance Film Festival, coming soon

by Rosalie Kicks, Editor in Chief & Old Sport 

“What do I need to do to be the next big porn star?”

My knowledge of the porn industry started and stopped at West Coast Video.

As a young woman in my twenties I was naive. Heck, I still am. I am that person that walks into a dick store and immediately has a giggle fit. One can only imagine my etiquette in the neon lit porn room at West Coast Video. In the summer of 2006, I had completed film school, and of course my next logical step was to obtain a dead end job at a video rental store. I still recall completing the application, which consisted of me writing my name, contact number and five favorite films on the back of a piece of scrap paper. I remember putting down something pretentious like a Wes Anderson film and Charlie Chaplin flick. I might have even mentioned a Kubrick. I really thought I knew what film was back then, HA!

In watching Pleasure, the impressive feature debut from Swedish filmmaker Ninja Thyberg, I could not help but recall my time of working in the video store. West Coast Video’s porn room was lined with hundreds of videos and discs that I never paid much attention to. I would scurry in to place the returned tapes back as quickly as possible and haul ass outta there. I never gave much thought that there were people who actually made this stuff and possibly even liked to. 

For twenty year old Linnéa (Sofia Kappel), she leaves her small town in Sweden in a gaudy fur coat for Los Angeles with dreams of becoming the next big porn star. Upon her arrival, the customs officer asks, if she is there for business or pleasure, she matter of factly responds: pleasure. 

She starts donning the name Bella Cherry and quickly dives into the deep end of the wild world that is the porn industry. The director provides a bird’s eye view to the character’s journey and experiences. For me, there was often the feeling of being a fly on the wall, as I witnessed the ups and downs of Bella Cherry. When she first gets to Los Angeles, she is a bright eyed ingenue with extreme determination to be the best. On her first gig, she shows signs of hesitation, but once that camera starts rolling she slides into her role with ease. Through her adventures in the sex industry, she doesn’t so much as lose her innocence as much as she loses her dignity. I’m not speaking of the sex acts themselves, it is more the way in which she ruthlessly rises to the top. 

This is not a film that I am going to be itching to watch again any time soon. Several scenes are extremely hard to watch, particularly a scene in which Bella finds herself raped by, what are essentially, two John Cena type burly dudes. Even after an act such as this, Bella’s perseverance stays strong. She does not give up the industry but she does, however, fire the agent that refuses to recognize the truth. He didn’t sign her up for a “rough shoot”, he instead got her assaulted. It is undeniable that Bella will not give in until her ambitions are fully realized: to become a renowned adult film star. As the film progresses, her willingness to succeed costs her friendships, respect and overall decency. There were so many moments in which I felt utterly uncomfortable, yet I loved spending time with these characters and having a glimpse into a world that I have no desire to ever visit again. What I found most fascinating about this story was the depiction of the various film sets that Bella Cherry found herself on. It was no surprise to me to find it was the set of a female director that offered a professional, safe and cautious experience. 

Ninja’s keen sense of direction and her ability to bring the viewer into the space is extremely effective, making it so hard to look away. Also for this being Sofia Kappel’s acting debut, she gives close to a flawless performance and I already can’t wait to see what she does next. In listening to the Q&A after the film, Ninja spoke of the extensive research she did when writing the story and creating the film. She manages to make this world accessible by pulling back the curtains to witness the many facets of this infamous industry. What started as a short film in 2013 of the same name, has become a masterful feature that has gotten people talking. Without a doubt, Ninja Thyberg is someone to watch out for and give all the money to, for all the projects.