MONEY SHOT: THE PORNHUB STORY -- An Interesting Story Undermined by its Messy Execution

Review by Camden Ferrell

When it comes to online adult entertainment, there is one name that comes to mind for most people. It has been immortalized in modern culture for better or worse and has a signature drum intro that everyone from teenagers to middle aged adults will recognize. Money Shot: The Pornhub Story dives into the origins, functions, and controversy of the industry giant. From director Suzanne Hillinger, who most recently directed the COVID documentary Totally Under Control, her new movie is quite informative about certain aspects of Pornhub’s history but can often fall short of constructing a compelling and eye-opening narrative.
 
Despite bringing pleasure to countless people, one cannot deny that there is a darker side to Pornhub that has caused irreparable harm in one way or another. This documentary aims to dive into the controversy, the legal and ethical dilemmas, and the sex workers whose lives have been impacted by Pornhub and the industry as a whole. Even though the woes of this company has been featured prominently in the news, it is great to deliver a documentary that aims to create a comprehensive timeline of events. It’s a complicated issue with a lot of nuanced layers that viewers should learn more about.
 
With many documentaries, the way it constructs and tells its story is paramount to success, and I was disappointed by how disorganized it was in this movie. The different elements of the story being told weren’t flowing properly, and it mostly felt disjointed. There are some great ideas floating around but lose its effectiveness due to how messy the actually story was organized. It also bites off a little more than it can chew in a 90-minute runtime. It felt like it had to work in overdrive to try and cover all of the bases they included.

What it lacks in narrative competence it makes up for in its fairness. Pornhub and its controversies are a polarizing issue for many, and a movie like this could have easily swung in either bias’s direction. However, Hillinger does a fantastic job of giving ample consideration to both arguments about Pornhub’s actions and its effect on several groups of people. It doesn’t play like a persuasion piece, but it doesn’t skimp on its informative nature. No major revelations or bombshells are dropped, but it’s enough for the average viewer to take at face value to form an opinion.
 
One other thing I did appreciate was how tasteful the movie was despite its topic. It didn’t exploit any of the sex workers or victims of Pornhub in an emotionally manipulative way. It also doesn’t turn off viewers with gratuitous sexual content. Even though it is a movie about a pornographic website, the director makes sure that this documentary is as accessible to audiences as possible.
 
While I appreciate Money Shot: The Pornhub Story for its handling of complex and mature material, it mostly fails on a superficial level. The themes and intent were as strong as could be, but the movie just couldn’t take those elements to craft an engaging narrative, and that is a shame considering the material that was provided. It may be worth watching for general information about this story, but many might fail to be entertained in a way a scandalous documentary like this should do.
 
Money Shot: The Pornhub Story is streaming on Netflix March 15.
 
Rating: 3/5