13 Films About the World's Oldest Profession That Offer a Gritty Reality

      Pretty Woman is one of many films that glamorize the world’s oldest profession, unlike the following movies.

      **Klute (1971)**

      Warner Bros.

      As the first installment in Alan J. Pakula’s Paranoia Trilogy, which includes The Parallax View and All the President’s Men, this dark thriller features Jane Fonda as Bree Daniels, a woman who suspects she is being stalked by a dangerous client. She teams up with a detective played by Donald Sutherland, who believes he can rescue her, in every possible way.

      Fonda earned her first Academy Award for Best Actress for her portrayal of Daniels, a nuanced character who initially seems to find joy in her work, aside from the stalking, of course.

      **Midnight Cowboy (1969)**

      Credit: C/O

      As the sole film with an X rating to win Best Picture, Midnight Cowboy depicts the grim journey of Joe Buck, a Texan who moves to the city and adopts a cowboy persona to sell himself. He meets Rico “Ratso” Rizzo, portrayed by Dustin Hoffman, known for the iconic line “I’m walkin’ here!”

      Directed by John Schlesinger and penned by Waldo Salt, the film is remarkable for its sympathetic representation of low-level street hustlers, particularly by the standards of the 1960s, and its unjudging exploration of its characters' lives.

      The film's rating was later revised to an R.

      **Leaving Las Vegas (1995)**

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      Initially, Mike Figgis’ drama appears to adhere to the heart-of-gold stereotype as Sera, played by Elisabeth Shue, a sex worker in Las Vegas, endeavors to save Ben (Nicolas Cage), a washed-up Hollywood figure, from his suicidal drinking. However, the story turns increasingly dark, culminating in a distressing sequence where Sera faces multiple difficult young clients.

      Leaving Las Vegas is a deeply sorrowful film, but Shue’s portrayal of Sera exudes dignity and charm, even as her aspirations crumble.

      Cage won an Oscar for Best Actor, while Shue was nominated for Best Actress but lost to Susan Sarandon in Dead Man Walking. While Sarandon delivered a great performance, Shue deserved the award for her intense and tragic role in one of the most starkly sad films centered on the oldest profession.

      **Monster (2003)**

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      In a stark departure from her usual roles, Charlize Theron transforms in this powerful film by Patty Jenkins, inspired by the life of real-life serial killer Aileen Wuornos.

      The narrative suggests Wuornos' turn to murder stemmed from desperation, mental illness, and self-defense, evoking some sympathy for a serial killer—until it doesn’t. Her claims of self-defense gradually devolve into hollow justifications.

      Theron earned a well-deserved Oscar for Best Actress for her performance.

      **Taxi Driver (1976)**

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      A young Jodie Foster delivers a heartbreaking performance as a child ensnared in street life, oblivious to the exploitation she suffers at the hands of the smooth-talking Sport (Harvey Keitel) in this masterful project by director Martin Scorsese and writer Paul Schrader.

      Along with Mean Streets, Taxi Driver serves as one of the most notable depictions of the gritty reality of 1970s New York City, showcasing the film's narrative brilliance as viewers find themselves rooting for the clearly disturbed Travis Bickle (Robert De Niro) to take necessary action.

      Both De Niro and Foster received Oscar nominations for this haunting film about sex trafficking.

      **My Own Private Idaho (1991)**

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      An exemplar of 1990s independent cinema, this drama by Gus Van Sant follows narcoleptic hustler Mike (River Phoenix in one of his most remarkable roles) as he journeys from Portland to Idaho and then to Rome with fellow hustler Scott Favor (Keanu Reeves).

      The film loosely adapts Shakespeare’s Henry IV, and Reeves was so convinced in Van Sant’s script that he rode over 1,300 miles on a motorcycle to persuade Phoenix to star in the film with him. It stands out as one of the most balanced films addressing male sex work.

      **Requiem for a Dream (2000)**

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      To deter people from trying heroin, show them Darren Aronofsky’s powerful yet painful film, Requiem for a Dream, based on Hubert Selby Jr.’s novel, which explores how individuals turn to drugs for escape and ultimately find themselves in dire circumstances.

      Marion Silver (Jennifer Connelly, above) faces particularly tragic consequences, culminating in a party scene that you may wish to erase from memory.

      **Sin City (2005)**

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      This visually striking, primarily black-and-white film, directed by Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller based on Miller's graphic novels, does not