This Easter Egg Connects ‘Anora’ to a Previous Sean Baker Film

This Easter Egg Connects ‘Anora’ to a Previous Sean Baker Film


Before it was commonplace in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the idea of a shared universe across movies was a delight for audiences. It was exciting that the characters in Chasing Amy, Clerks, and Mallrats all seemed to know each other, in part through Jay and Silent Bob (Jay Mewes and Kevin Smith, respectively). Michael Keatonreprising his role as Ray Nicolette from Jackie Brown in Stephen Soderbergh’s Out of Sight was a fun surprise for people who read the Elmore Leonard novels which inspired the two movies. Quentin Tarantino was especially obsessed with this idea, with characters sharing connections across movies like Pulp Fiction and Reservoir Dogs, but even his faux brand of Red Apple cigarettes being advertised by Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio) in Once Upon a Time… In Hollywood.




While the concept in and of itself is no longer a surprise, for a movie to do it unexpectedly is a true thrill. The critically acclaimed and Palme d’Or winning Anora is not the kind of movie one might expect to commit to fan service, considering its an original film developed entirely by writer, director, and editor Sean Baker, and his creative cohorts had no prior entry from a franchise or source material to reference. Sharing a universe simply doesn’t seem likely for such a prestigious movie either, rather something for the major blockbusters or perhaps an auteurist film. All the more reason it was so exciting for the “blink, and you’ll miss it” reference Anora gives to Baker’s previous film: Red Rocket.



‘Anora’ Hints at This Character’s Future

red-rocket-feature
Image Via A24

Red Rocket follows an out-of-work adult entertainment star Mikey Saber (Simon Rex) attempting to rebuild himself in his hometown. While there and causing trouble for all involved, Mikey comes across a young woman that he perceives as his ticket back to glory.Raylee (Suzanne Son), or Strawberry as she prefers, is an attractive young woman who is, more importantly to Mikey, easily impressionable. After forming a business and eventually a sexual relationship with the young Strawberry, Mikey attempts to convince her to leave her family and move with him back to Los Angeles to start her own career in adult entertainment, which Mikey has assured her he would manage.


But the movie doesn’t make the fate of Mikey or Strawberry clear. The movie is a character study of someone grifting through life, burning connections as he sees fit, inflating his own role in his success, and constantly envisioning what will get him to his next score. The final moments see Mikey at an all-time low but leave the viewer unclear whether his next gamble with Strawberry will work out for him. It’s not assured that he can make Strawberry into a star, or if they’ll both, perhaps, have to start from scratch. This answer is surprisingly revealed in Anora for those looking closely in the background.

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All that matters, in the world of this film, is getting by.


Ani (Mikey Madison), or the titular Anora, finds herself in Las Vegas late in the movie. The whirlwind romance reveals its crushing reality, the emotions are high and drama is tense for our lead. As she is escorted with the caravan she has spent the last night with in search of her missing husband, they pass a billboard. It’s a brief moment, but the pink advertisement features a prominent figure: Strawberry. It’s unclear what exactly Strawberry’s career is — whether she’s specifically an adult entertainer or perhaps has a burlesque show in Vegas (Mikey did see her sing in Red Rocket), but it is implied Strawberry’s career did, in fact, work out and Mikey’s latest score did take off.

What Does the ‘Anora’ and ‘Red Rocket’ Connection Mean?

Part of the fun of this connection is that it doesn’t mean anything larger. There’s likely not going to be some sequel where Ani meets Mikey and Strawberry, nor is it trying to set up some sprawling Avengersstyle crossover, where Ani and Strawberry befriend Sid-Nee and Alexandra, the sex workers from Sean Baker’s Tangerine, and together the four of them adopt Moonee from The Florida Project to create a found family — wait… Sean Baker, could you do that? What it does show is a level of care and investment in Baker’s characters, and that the filmmaker is still thinking of them before and after their stories are told on screen.


While by definition this is an Easter Egg, it’s much more pure in its execution. It is not distracting or even noticeable if one is unfamiliar with Red Rocket, and it truly is a surprise because Baker and Company didn’t have to do it at all, showcasing that it was done purely out of adoration for his work, cast, and characters. There was no expectation for Anora to link to his prior film, which makes it all the more exciting that it did.

Anora is playing in theaters now across the U.S.

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