Sean Baker is one of the most original and exciting voices in cinema right now, but some of his movies stand out more than others. Baker, who’s finally been Oscar-nominated for Best Director, has become renowned for his sympathetic depiction of sex workers. From the titular escort in Anora to the retired porn star in Red Rocket, his characters break free of the usual archetypes that confine the portrayal of sex workers in the media and present poignant portraits of three-dimensional human beings.

Baker’s movies don’t follow traditional plots with inciting incidents and external conflicts; they’re character studies digging deep into the complex psyches of flawed people, many of them dealing with sex workers in a sympathetic and humanizing way. With their loose storytelling and naturalistic dialogue, Baker’s movies capture real life a lot more effectively than most of his peers. From Tangerine to The Florida Project, Baker has directed some truly great movies throughout his career.

8 Four Letter Words

Released In 2000

Baker’s debut feature introduced his unique comic sensibility and his ear for naturalistic dialogue, but all his subsequent films would be even better. Four Letter Words is an authentic look at the lives of disillusioned young men living in American suburbia, but it’s not particularly original; this kind of thing has been seen in plenty of other movies.

It feels more like Baker trying to make something akin to filmmakers like Richard Linklater and Kevin Smith rather than something that feels his own.

There are certain stylistic choices and the immersive "cinema verite" style Baker became known for to be found along with his sense of humor underlying the story. However, it feels like a subject matter and characters that Baker isn't wholly invested in compared to his later movies. It feels more like Baker trying to make something akin to filmmakers like Richard Linklater and Kevin Smith rather than something that feels his own. Baker ultimately found his niche and pioneered a more idiosyncratic voice in his later films.

7 Starlet

Released In 2012

Baker began his cinematic exploration of sex work in Starlet. Starlet depicts the unlikely friendship that blossoms between 21-year-old adult film star Jane and 85-year-old widow Sadie after Jane finds a stash of cash in a vase sold by Sadie at her yard sale. Dree Hemingway gives a staggering performance in the lead role and shares delightful on-screen chemistry with Besedka Johnson that really sells the film’s central relationship.

Starlet is the perfect pairing of story and setting; it deftly contrasts genuine human connection with the fake intimacy of pornography. Coming out to solid reviews before Baker really broke out in the indie scene, Starlet feels like Baker is really starting to develop his voice and style, albeit inside of a more conventional story. It is not a groundbreaking movie, but mixes humor and heart in a satisfying way.

6 Prince Of Broadway

Released In 2008

Prince of Broadway revolves around a New York hustler whose life is upended when his ex shows up with a son he never knew he had. Baker's movies have always been quite good at capturing a specific feeling of a place and Baker is able to perfectly capture the chaos on the streets of New York here. It is also a beautiful and heartfelt story of a father stepping up to face his responsibilities.

Despite what the premise might suggest, Prince of Broadway makes it clear that Baker is not a filmmaker who is willing to rely on easy clichés to tell a story. It is a fascinating modern exploration of parenting that is not covered in many movies. Though not really the fault of the film, the low budget means that it is not as visually interesting or boldly made as Baker's movies that followed.

5 Red Rocket

Released In 2021

As Baker's reputation in the movie industry started to grow and he became known as an indie filmmaker who could capture the human experience, he seemed ready to remind audiences that he was also a very funny artist with Red Rocket. Baker’s tale of a retired adult film star returning to mend the burned bridges in his hometown is one of his funniest movies. Simon Rex gives a great performance in the lead role, leaning hilariously into the character’s most unlikable qualities for a brutally honest portrayal of a washed-up porn star.

In the wake of Baker's growing profile, the more straightforward comedic elements of Red Rocket were somewhat of a letdown. While certainly a funny movie, it lacked the depth or heart that has become expected in Baker's work. However, it is a hilarious ride with a deeply flawed protagonist. Many people might not be on board with the character, but Rex's performance makes it fascinating to follow him.

4 Take Out

Released In 2004

Baker’s plot-light, character-heavy focus on slice-of-life stories began with his second feature, Take Out. Take Out is a social-realist drama following a Chinese restaurant’s delivery man as he drops off food around an Upper Manhattan neighborhood. Take Out also established Baker’s penchant for contrasting different sides of the class divide. The harsh realities of Ming’s working-class life are juxtaposed with the luxuries of the affluent people he serves food to.

Take Out has a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Take Out portrays the immigrant experience more accurately and honestly than most of Hollywood’s attempts at representation. The movie was Baker's first to be co-directed by someone else, as he shared the duties with frequent collaborator Shih-Ching Tsou. While this gives the movie a distinct feel, more documentary-like than even his other movies, there are still touches that remind you this is a Sean Baker movie.

3 Tangerine

Released In 2015

Tangerine changed LGBTQ+ cinema forever with its comionate portrayal of transgender characters. Set on Christmas Eve, Tangerine follows a sex worker’s attempts to track down her boyfriend and pimp after learning that he’s having an affair. Kitana Kiki Rodriguez and Mya Taylor give magnificent performances in this intoxicating day-in-the-life comedy. For a movie shot on iPhones, Tangerine is visually stunning — and the use of handheld cell phones gave the cinematography a zippy, energetic feel.

The film helped to launch Baker as a new indie movie darling as it served as a reminder of how kinetic and exciting a movie can be regardless of the budget or the filmmaking equipment on hand. However, the movie also slows down for some quieter moments that are just as impactful and show the heart Baker maintains in all of his projects. Tangerine was nominated for four awards at the Independent Spirit Awards, including Best Feature and Best Director.

2 Anora

Released In 2024

While still very much an indie movie, this is the one that has really launched Baker's name as one Hollywood needs to be paying attention to. Anora is really two movies rolled into one, and they’re both great. The first half is a screwball romantic comedy about an escort impulsively marrying a rich Russian oligarch’s son, then the second half is a Coen brothers-style crime caper about the city-wide search for the oligarch’s son when he flees the scene.

The first half sweeps the audience up in a whirlwind romance, then the second half delivers all the belly laughs of a classic farce. The ending of Anora completes Ani’s tragic journey with a sobering snap back to reality. It makes for the kind of movie Baker feels like he has been building to for years. Likewise, it also feels like the one that connected with audiences the most, leading to its historic Oscar victory, winning five Oscars. Baker himself went home with four for the movie, a first in Oscar history.

1 The Florida Project

Released In 2017

While Anora is Baker's most famous movie, many feel that his true masterpiece is The Florida Project. The Florida Project satirically contrasts the impoverished residents of a motel with the hub of glorified consumerism — the supposed “Happiest Place on Earth” — right across the street. It’s a modern-day reimagining of The Little Rascals that views financial hardships through the innocent eyes of a child.

It is funny and poignant, but can also be heartbreaking at times. It all feels authentic thanks to the natural performances by non-actors.

Brooklynn Kimberly Prince’s incredible performance perfectly captures the joys of childhood, and The Florida Project builds to a truly touching final scene that brings the whole thing full circle. Not quite a coming-of-age story, it is more a look at the reality of the American Dream through the eyes of a child. It is funny and poignant, but can also be heartbreaking at times. It all feels authentic thanks to the natural performances by non-actors. And yet Willem Dafoe gives a brilliant Oscar-nominated ing performance that ties it all together.

What's Next For Sean Baker?

Given his history-making win at the Oscars with Anora, it makes sense that there are plenty of people wondering what Sean Baker's next movie will be. While the filmmaker does have a new project already lined up, it is not one in which he will be in the director's chair. Instead, Baker will serve as editor and co-writer of Left-Handed Girl which will be directed by Baker's frequent collaborator Shih-Ching Tsou. The movie follows a single mother and her two daughters who open a stand in a night market in Taipei.

As for Baker's next directorial effort, that wait could be longer. In of his other movies, Baker has typically taken between two and four years in between projects. With Anora just coming out and no word on anything in production at the moment, it seems like 2027 is the earliest fans could expect anything. However, Baker did confirm there are ideas for a new movie and it would once again involve a sex worker (via Variety).