Review | Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn movie review: sex and social critique in Covid-era Romanian satire, Golden Bear winner at 2021 Berlin film festival
- Romanian director Radu Jude’s satire follows a woman who makes a sex tape with her husband only to see it go viral online
- With graphic sexual imagery, Monty Python moments and nods to cult US director John Waters, this is a bold and chaotic film
3/5 stars
With a title like Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn, you know you’re in for something bold and slightly chaotic. Written and directed by Romanian auteur Radu Jude, it’s a comedy-drama that starts as it means to go on.
Emi Cilibiu (Katia Pascariu) is a history teacher at a Romanian high school, who makes the mistake of making a sex tape with her husband. When he uploads it to a private website, it’s soon downloaded and goes viral. Suddenly, this “loony porn” sees her pilloried by fellow teachers, parents and even pupils.
Nicolae Ceausescu, the former leader of the country, features, accompanied by graphic sexual imagery. It’s a bizarre and baffling segment that will likely put off those not familiar with Jude’s provocative work; his previous film, 2015’s Aferim!, won best director in Berlin, a spiritual home for him, it seems.
