Pleasure

Featuring mostly real porn performers, Thyberg sought to detail the world in all its seedy glory, as it vacillates between the sexy and the grotesque.

Working with cinematographer Sophie Winqvist Loggins, writer-director Thyberg finds ingenious angles and original choreography to shoot pornographic shoots. For all the nudity and thrusting on screen no one could describe Pleasure as voyeuristic.

This is an immersive and unflinching narrative whirl through the LA porn industry, with no blushes spared.

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.

Thyberg’s film doesn’t smack of an agenda. Among performers paid to fake passion, it feels dispassionate.

There’s more to this topic than a single feature could possibly cover, particularly a debut one. But Thyberg knows which angles she wants to work – and my goodness, does she go for it.

This is definitely not going to be a film for everyone, and it is hard to fully recommend it without knowing what boundaries people have. It is such a tough watch, but one that I feel is necessary for those who can make it through.

Thyberg is a fearless director for not shying away from the story and her boldness to show the harrowing experience in the adult film industry.

A warts and all look at an industry glorified by many.

As you would expect, this film features a lot of nudity and depicts various sex acts. It is rated R, but if I was rating it, it would be NC-17, adults only. You would expect it to rise up at least a little bit over its subject matter, but it doesn't.