We all know that movies have a rather romanticized idea of the world’s oldest profession, but did you know how often it happens? There’s certainly no shortage of movies that glamorize sex work, making it seem like a life of leisure or at least completely harmless. Here are some of the worst offenders.
Pretty Woman
Of course, the first one that comes to mind has to be Pretty Woman, starring Julia Roberts as the prostitute Vivian. Hired by Edward (Richard Gere), the pair fall in love but struggle to come to terms with their very different views on the world and relationships. It all ends happily, with Vivian being “saved” from her profession by Edward’s interest in her.
Moulin Rouge!
Set in Paris in 1899, Moulin Rouge! follows the life of Satine (Nicole Kidman), a courtesan at the Moulin Rouge cabaret in the Montmartre district. Telling the story of the romance between her and the writer Christian (Ewan McGregor) persevering despite the unwanted attentions of the Duke (Richard Roxburgh), this romantic drama glamorizes her profession. It highlights the romance rather than the realities.
Breakfast at Tiffany’s
Breakfast at Tiffany’s never outright states that Holly Golightly (Audrey Hepburn) is an escort, but it very strongly hints at it, with her being paid $100 to deliver “the weather report.” It shows Holly as a glamorous and charming socialite, ignoring the gritty realities and what might happen to her in the future.
Memoirs of a Geisha
When Chiyo Sakamoto’s (Zhang Ziyi) family is in poverty, she is sold into life as a geisha. Although a natural at many of the skills needed, she struggles with the bullying of her rivals, resulting in her being demoted to a menial worker. Memoirs of a Geisha focuses on her rise back up the ranks and eventual debut, making the life of a geisha in the 1920s seem a lot more glamorous and luxurious than it is.
Tart
A coming-of-age movie, Tart stars Dominique Swain as the protagonist, Cat Storm, a teenager who enters a glamorous world of prostitution and drugs. Although the ending focuses more on the risks and downsides, the rest of the movie is a blur of parties, glamor, and glitz, making the lifestyle seem almost desirable.
Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo
The sex comedy movie Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo takes a more light-hearted approach to the world’s oldest profession. The titular character, played by Rob Schneider, resorts to gigolo work to repair the damage he caused to a fish tank when cleaning it. The result is that it portrays sex work as a bit of fun and misses all the downsides.
Risky Business
Widely considered to be Tom Cruise’s breakout role, Risky Business stars him as Joel Goodson, a high school senior born to wealthy parents who have just left town for a while. He swiftly gets involved with a prostitute called Lana (Rebecca De Mornay), with the movie showing her profession as something she enjoys.
Hustlers
The crime comedy-drama Hustlers features an ensemble cast as New York strippers who have realized they can make a bit more money by robbing their clients. The movie focuses on this scam with a message of empowerment rather than acknowledging the realities of their profession and the ways this could be exploited.
Belle de Jour
A French erotic drama, Belle de Jour stars Catherine Deneuve as Séverine Serizy, a young housewife who finds herself bored at home all day. After visiting a brothel, her fantasies lead to her working as a prostitute on weekday afternoons, exploring her desires in a highly glamorized way.
The Girlfriend Experience
The Girlfriend Experience is exactly what prostitute Christine (Sasha Grey) offers, giving her high-end customers an evening of her time. Going by her professional name, Chelsea, she visits client after client, all while juggling her personal life and boyfriend. The movie focuses more on the luxuries she receives and her wealthy customers than a realistic look at the job.
Hardcore
Hardcore focuses on Jake Van Dorn (George C. Scott), who is searching for his daughter Kristen (Ilah Davis), as he believes she has been forced into sex work. Although this movie certainly looks at the darker side of prostitution, it also sensationalizes it to make a more dramatic story.
Dangerous Beauty
Veronica Franco (Catherine McCormack) is in love with Marco Venier (Rufus Sewell), but her family is too poor for the two to be married. Instead, Veronica is trained to be a courtesan, enchanting the men of Venice with her wit and beauty. This is treated as a reasonable and unproblematic path to power, romanticizing her experiences in the upper classes.
Irma la Douce
When policeman Nestor Patou (Jack Lemmon) is framed for bribery, he ends up falling in love with prostitute Irma la Douce (Shirley MacLaine), even creating an alter-ego, Lord X, so that no one else can spend time with her. A romantic comedy, the movie makes light of sex work and has her easily leaving it for marriage at the end.
Diary of a Nymphomaniac
Based on an autobiographical novel, Diary of a Nymphomaniac follows Val (Belén Fabra), a hypersexual woman. When she needs to pay off a debt, she starts to work in a brothel, meeting many clients and eventually falling in love with one. Despite her profession’s obvious risks and dangers, the movie focuses only on the positives, with Val enjoying her job.
Flesh
Focusing on the male prostitute Joe (Joe Dallesandro), Flesh sees him hustling on the street to make money for an abortion. He has various encounters with clients, but these are treated almost detachedly, with none of the downsides of his life presented.
Showgirls
The erotic drama movie Showgirls stars Elizabeth Berkley as Nomi Malone, a dancer hoping to get her big break in Las Vegas. Although it touches on themes of prostitution and exploitation, these are blocked out by the glitz and glamor of the showgirls themselves. Most of the movie is devoted to the rivalry between Nomi and Cristal (Gina Gershon).
American Gigolo
A neo-noir crime drama movie, American Gigolo stars Richard Gere as a high-class escort who uses his considerable earnings to live a life of luxury before he is framed for murder. This focus on materialistic goods and glamor means that any nuance to his profession is lost.
The Happy Hooker
Adapted from a memoir by Xaviera Hollander, The Happy Hooker stars Lynn Redgrave in this role. She is a prostitute who eventually becomes a madam, owning her own highly successful brothel. In a comedy movie, the title makes the problem obvious, showing sex work light-hearted and humorously.
