Here’s a film I thought might not ever come out. You may not have heard of Ninja Thyberg’s controversial porn world movie Pleasure, but if you attended Sundance in 2020 it was tough to avoid. The explicit drama was quickly snapped up by A24, one of those elite, progressive studios that thrives on turning films like this into cult favorites and quiet box office hits. But a dispute broke out over A24’s plan to release an unedited cut and an R-rated one, so the film was sold to another trendy studio, Neon, who vowed to make no changes at all.
And so here we are with the red band trailer for Pleasure, which centers on Bella Cherry, a naive Swedish girl’s arrival in Los Angeles to be the porn industry’s next big thing. But to do it, she’ll need to ignore any personal limits and keep pushing dangerous boundaries while navigating the power dynamics of an industry run by men but where women are the stars.
The film featured whast many are calling a breakout turn by star Sofia Kappel, who is joined by a number of adult film vets such as Chris Cock, Dana DeArmond, Axel Braun, and Evelyn Claire.
Pleasure opens in theaters on May 13th.
Pleasure takes a look at the Los Angeles porn industry through the lens of newcomer Bella Cherry (Sofia Kappel). Strong, self-confident, but naive, Bella believes she can mold the corrupt system to satisfy her needs. But, in the end, she must confront whether she’ll pay with her soul for stardom or not.