BAD LUCK BANGING OR LOONY PORN is the eighth full length feature film by celebrated Romanian auteur Rady Jude. A three-part satire that follows a schoolteacher named Emi (Katia Pascariu) who must face the consequences of a personal sex tape being leaked on the internet. The three loosely connected parts include a walk in the city of Bucharest, then a playful essay on obscenities, then culminating in an incendiary comic confrontation.

Jude as modern visionary shines through in the film where he takes the viewer on a journey through an array of different lenses; an ode to the French New Wave one moment, the next is Surrealistic and brash, creating a film that is as mesmerizing as it is uncategorizable – all while delivering scathing social commentary on hypocrisy and prejudice in our societies. 

SNAPSHOT REVIEW

The film seemed to have no direction until the final part played out, where parents of children at the school Emi teaches at were called into a meeting to discuss whether she should remain a teacher or lose her job due to the private sex tape that was leaked. The film literally opens with a full on sex scene between Emi and her husband Eugen, much like any porn found on the internet. From there, Part One continues with a  a lot of long camera shots of everyday life in Bucharest, with Emi going about her daily routines, while trying to figure what to do about the leaked sex tape.

Part Two is like a pictorial dictionary of sexual innuendos and non-PC terminology, all done quite tongue in cheek. It isn’t until Part Three when the film combines humour with hypocrisy, that viewers are brought into the question of whether Emi the teacher did anything wrong by having sex with her husband and uploading the video to a private adult-only website. The meeting begins with one parent streaming the video to everyone so they would know what was being discussed.

What follows is a hilarious array of comments, accusations, and even some accolades, before the Head Mistress at the school asks for a raise of hands to determine the fate of Emi’s career. There are three different endings done, with three different scenarios. The first, the vote is in her favour, the second isn’t, and the third she gets her revenge in one of the most bizarre scenes.

All in all, it’s a fun, strange film that somehow brings to light the hypocrisy that exists in all of us.

Available in select theatres November 19, 2021 from Magnolia Pictures.

The film premiered at the 2021 Berlin International Film Festival where it won the festival’s top prize, the Golden Bear. It plays next at the 2021 New York and Karlovy Vary Film Festivals. 

About the Author

Bryen Dunn is a freelance journalist with a focus on travel, lifestyle, entertainment and hospitality. He has an extensive portfolio of celebrity interviews with musicians, actors and other public personalities. He enjoys discovering delicious eats, tasting spirited treats, and being mesmerized by musical beats.