It’s been said that Gen Z is not interested much in sex and nudity in film (or such topics in real life, for that matter). Well, does executive producer Sean Baker, the director of Oscar-winning Anora, have the film for them? Baker notoriously loves to highlight sex workers in his movies (Red Rocket is underrated in my opinion), and the documentary Modern W***e, directed by Nicole Bazuin, is no exception.
The doc is the sex worker story of Toronto native Andrea Werhun (under the aliases of Mary Ann and Sophia in her line of work) and friends. They are told through reenactments and talking heads, though with much more style, humor, and raw honesty than you would see most anywhere else. Werhun is not only naked onscreen, but also in her emotional rawness.
Some of the stories of prostitution and stripping in Modern W***e are jaw-dropping, but possibly the most shocking revelation for most of the audience is how normal it can be. Werhun has had a loving relationship with her boyfriend for 13 years through it all, and you can see the love in both of their eyes when they’re onscreen. She had never been abused or sexually assaulted before she became a sex worker, unlike the stereotype, which some of her customers would try to pry about.
“…the sex worker story of Toronto native Andrea Werhun…”
Prostitution has a humongous stigma attached to it, but Modern W***e shows it as a job like any other, albeit much more dangerous since it’s criminalized. The most poignant part of the documentary is hearing Werhun recount her story of being raped while stripping, and another harrowing account while hooking. The club was supposed to protect her, but didn’t, probably because they knew there would be no repercussions.
Throughout it all, Werhun comes across as extremely intelligent (she was an English major), funny with a naughty Lucille Ball-like lightheartedness in some of her reenactments. To borrow a line from Snoop Dogg, she’s “realer than real deal Holyfield.” None of these traits fall under the stereotype, and her friends in the same line of work come across as “normal” people as well.
The superpower of filmmaking is letting you, the audience, walk in another person’s shoes. I must admit that I probably subconsciously held many of the stereotypes of the “oldest profession” in my head coming into Modern W***e. After seeing the movie, I feel like prostitution should be decriminalized in order to make it safer for the sex workers. They definitely should not be degraded or made to feel less than anyone else. We as a society need to do a much better job of that, and the first step is through education.
Kudos to Andrea Werhun for laying out her sex work story for all to see, to Sean Baker for continuing to highlight such under-reported stories, and to director Nicole Bazuin for doing such a masterful job of making the subject both relatable and entertaining. Werhun is a true star in every sense, shining a light on philosophical issues while being extremely charismatic in the process. Her mother wishes that she would not do this type of work, but she still loves her. As long as you’re not hurting anyone, maybe we should all try to live and let live.
"…funny with a naughty Lucille Ball-like lightheartedness..."
