12 Films About the World’s Oldest Profession That Present a Softened View

      While the newly crowned Best Picture winner Anora provides a straightforward and unbiased perspective on sex work, films have often been criticized for romanticizing the harsh truths of the world's oldest profession. Below are 13 examples.

      Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961)

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      Yes, “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” is indeed on this list.

      Although the film downplays the grittier aspects of Truman Capote’s novella, it clearly indicates that Holly Golightly (Audrey Hepburn), an enduring icon of sophistication, engages in secretive activities on the side.

      Capote described Holly Golightly not as a typical sex worker but more like an “American geisha”: “She had no job but accompanied wealthy men to top dining establishments and nightclubs, with the expectation that her escort would provide her with some form of gift, possibly jewelry or a check. If she felt inclined, she might invite her escort to stay the night.”

      At one point, she mentions that "any gentleman with a bit of style will hand a girl a $50 bill for the powder room."

      Never on Sunday (1960)

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      This Greek film features Melina Mercouri as Ilya, a free-spirited night worker whose lifestyle is challenged by a classical scholar named Homer (Jules Dassin, who also wrote and directed the film). He attempts to guide her toward his moral compass while she seeks to loosen him up.

      And that thing she refrains from doing on Sundays?

      You guessed right.

      Irma la Douce (1963)

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      The Apartment's director Billy Wilder and screenwriter I.A.L. Diamond reunited for this comedic film featuring Jack Lemmon as a cop who becomes captivated with the endearing Irma (Shirley MacLaine), a woman of the night, and resolves to rescue her through a hilariously complicated web of deception.

      This movie leans more toward humor compared to The Apartment, a classic that delved into similar themes.

      Belle de Jour (1967)

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      In this French romantic drama, the stunning Catherine Deneuve plays Séverine, a married woman who takes a job at a high-end brothel to explore her own curiosity.

      Initially hesitant, she finds excitement in her new circumstances, and her relationship with her husband even improves.

      Being a film from 1967, adverse events do occur, but not necessarily due to her new occupation. Trouble arises when Marcel (Pierre Clémenti), whom she initially finds thrilling, becomes jealous and aggressive.

      The Happy Hooker (1975)

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      The title is quite revealing. Based on Xaviera Hollander’s successful memoir, this comedy stars Lynn Redgrave as a Dutch consulate worker who resigns to pursue a far more profitable career.

      New York Times critic Vincent Canby referred to it as “a light-hearted, morally ambiguous New York comedy about greed and desire in the land of opportunity” and “a clever work.” Although the protagonist encounters numerous obstacles, she manages to charm her way out of all of them. The film led to two sequels.

      Night Shift (1982)

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      Night Shift is another film that uses prostitution as a metaphor for capitalism. This Ron Howard comedy features Henry Winkler and Michael Keaton as Chuck and Bill, congenial morgue attendants in New York City. However, they soon discover thrilling new opportunities through Belinda (Shelly Long), Chuck’s neighbor who is a sex worker. They end up transforming the morgue into a party space and brothel.

      The film depicts sex work as a beneficial arrangement for everyone—until law enforcement and rival pimps object. Shelly also refuses to quit her job, pointing out to Chuck that being a pimp is not inherently superior to being a sex worker.

      It argues that there’s nothing intrinsically wrong with sex work—the real issues are the police and violence. This sets us up for the next film on our list.

      The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (1982)

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      This sex-positive film featuring Burt Reynolds and Dolly Parton portrays a harmonious relationship between a madam (Dolly Parton) and a sheriff (Burt Reynolds). He allows her business to thrive, viewing her type of sex work as a victimless crime. Complications arise only when some local do-gooders begin their protests.

      The film envisions a world where police would protect rather than prosecute sex workers, allowing them to dictate their own fates, which was quite progressive for 1982.

      Trading Places (1983)

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      In Trading Places, Jamie Lee Curtis’ character Ophelia is perhaps the most endearing figure, in this comedy about rags-to-riches and riches-to-rags based on Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro.

      Although the film doesn’t shy away from the harsh realities of Ophelia's life, it ultimately offers an optimistic outlook—