By providing your information, you agree to our Terms of Use and our Privacy Policy. We use vendors that may also process your information to help provide our services. Utopia releases the film in theaters and on digital on Friday, April 2.
As probably the single most stigmatized profession, sex work has long held a salacious fascination for filmmakers. As discussion of sex worker rights moves into mainstream feminist dialogues, entertainment media has thankfully followed suit.
The film opens with a young woman Danielle Rachel Sennott finishing up a session with her sugar daddy Max Danny Deferrari. Deferrari communicates everything you need to know about his character in this early scene β after fumbling with the cash, he extends an already awkward farewell into an even sadder extended hug. Poor guy. Granted, Danielle can be forgiven for chugging wine, since Max shows up at the shiva. It turns out, her sugar daddy used to work for her real daddy. And they have a baby.
Not only does she have to process this personal crisis in secret, but amidst a chorus of nosy Jewish aunties simultaneously chastising and praising her recent weight loss. The single setting is always a shrewd move for a first feature, especially one on a budget, though it does limit things visually. The conversational nature of the script lends itself to tight shots and quick edits, which has the effect of running suffocating circles around Danielle, who is usually centered while the other characters are shot over the shoulder, helping keep the focus on her inner turmoil.
A tense string score ratchets up the tension, though this technique loses its bite after a few too many uses.
