In Theaters 01.30.2026 or Watch at Home 05.01.2026

Paying For It

Directed by Sook-Yin Lee
Film Movement
2024
85 Minutes
Canada
English
Comedy
Not Rated
  1. Home
  2. In Theaters
  3. Paying For It

In the late 90s, Chester and Sonny are a long-term, committed, romantic couple. When Sonny wants to redefine their relationship, Chester, an introverted cartoonist, starts sleeping with sex workers and discovers a new kind of intimacy in the process. Adapted from the acclaimed alternative-cartoonist Chester Brown’s best-selling graphic novel, PAYING FOR IT is a comedy about love, sex and non-monogamy for adults.

Director & Cast

  • Director: Sook-Yin Lee
  • Starring: Emily Lê
  • Starring: Dan Beirne​​
  • Starring: Andrea Werhun​​

Where to Watch

Trailer

Photos

Reviews

  • "Provocative, hilarious and heartfelt."
    Barry Hertz, The Globe and Mail
  • "With a distinctive voice that captures the contrasting desire for companionship with strictly carnal, no-strings-attached intimacy, the biggest triumph of “Paying For It” is the empathy it shows the sex workers themselves"
    Ally Johnson, The Playlist
  • "Quirky, thought-provoking and often explicit."
    Joan MacDonald, Forbes
  • "Displays a maturity and thoughtfulness (...) revels in the messy contradictions we may hold about love. It’s evident that Lee is already a master of tension and finding humor within people’s inconsistencies...."
    Zachary Lee, RogerEbert.com
  • "Lee and co-writer Joanne Sarazen do an admirable job of depicting – and destigmatising – the ins-and-outs of urban sex work...."
    Adam Nayman, Sight & Sound
  • "A welcome surprise and a revelation. “Paying For It" isn’t the movie you’d expect. But, it’s one you might love."
    Kristy Strouse, Film Inquiry
  • "A provocative new film, ‘Paying for It,’ takes an unflinching look at sex work and love...."
    Peter Howell, Toronto Star
  • "Sweet, wry, provocative and wonderful...."
    Barry Hertz, Globe and Mail
  • "[T]he movie humanizes the story and presents the Sook-Yin character and Brown himself – as well as the sex workers – as real people, and likable ones at that."
    Heidi MacDonald, Comics Beat
Winner
Best Adapted Screenplay (Sook-Yin Lee & Joanne Sarazen)
Canadian Screen Awards
Winner
Best Cinematography (Gayle Ye)
Canadian Screen Awards
Nominated
Best Adaptation from Comic Book/Graphic Novel
The Harvey Awards
Nominated
Platform Award
Toronto Int'l. Film Festival
Nominated
Established Producer Award
CMPA IndieScreen Awards

Now Playing

Sort By:
Quad Cinema New York NY January 30, 2026