This stylized documentary about sex workers is like a storybook come to life
When Andrea Werhun started writing her memoir, “Modern Whore,” nearly a decade ago, she was afraid to be honest about working as an escort and stripper.But she embraced going public to “use storytelling to advocate for the plight of sex workers.”In the documentary version of “Modern Whore,” directed by Nicole Bazuin, Werhun has gone not one, but several steps further.
Werhun, 36, is not only the main interview subject, she’s also the frequently topless star of all the vividly depicted reenactments of her experiences.The documentary also features bright colors, funky music and an often jaunty tone.Well DocumentedWith networks and streamers seeking to create compelling content, many have found the answer in true stories.
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Werhun, who started escorting in college and still does sex work even while pursuing writing and acting, was a consultant on Sean Baker’s “Anora,” and he served as a producer here, offering feedback on their script and numerous cuts of the film.It premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2025 and is now available on video on demand.Werhun and Bazuin recently discussed the film’s style and goals in a joint video interview edited for length and clarity.How much were you consciously trying to make this different from other documentaries about sex workers? Bazuin: I wanted this to feel like a storybook come to life — we literally jump inside Andrea’s book with Andrea as our storyteller and reenactor of her own experiences.
People might expect a film about sex work to be be drab or dour, and we wanted to confront that right away with vivid colors and a stylized expressionistic mode that can support all the moods of her experiences.Stylized films sometimes can contain more truth than realistic forms.Werhun: Cinema verité, whi...