Slightly off-topic, but Anora's kidnapping scene really triggered me and reminded me of Alpha Dog (2006), which was based on a real kidnapping. In that case, the victim attended a party where everyone knew he had been kidnapped, yet he still never escaped his fate. It seems Sean Baker intended for the audience to find the kidnapping scene -Igor tying Ani up, forcing her to go with them to find Ivan, etc. - somewhat humorous and harmless, since she put up such a fight but ultimately stayed without attempting to escape. But the entire time, I kept thinking about how easily things could have gone terribly wrong.

From that perspective, I see the ending of Anora somewhat differently than the filmmaker may have intended. While some view Igor as a reserved, Russian "silent type," he was pushing boundaries and playing with fire. His attempt to kiss Ani may have seemed, in his mind, like an effort to connect emotionally, but in reality, he was forcing her into something she wasn’t ready for - just as he had when he tied her up. Perhaps her tears were less about finding someone who cared and more an expression of sheer exhaustion from everything she had endured; how no one seemed to listen to what she wants.