It is easy to dismiss Girls to Buy due to its tawdry title and provocative poster. Emi (Paulina Galazka) longs for a life away from the small town she grew up in. When the opportunity arises to become an exclusive escort, she does not hesitate to take it. Before long, she starts he own VIP escort service that caters to the rich and famous. It is not long before the workers are exposed to the dark side of the business.
The film is has an interesting tone. The premise sounds like something straight out of 1990s Skinemax. (Ironically, Girls to Buy does take place in 1999.) Those going in for low budget action pieces between sexual escapades will be sorely disappointed. Despite the subject matter, there is very little sex or nudity. There is a much more serious message here.
Based on the 2018 novel Girls from Dubai about the real experiences of Eastern European sex workers, this is a cautionary tale. This is made apparent quickly as the movie starts with some disturbing facts about sex workers and trafficking. Things have a tendency to get too lighthearted at times, but more often than not, it does get its message across.
This is seen most in the glamorous set pieces. Girls to Buy almost looks like a music video from the 90s, as the workers party on luxury yachts and sprawling mansions. Director Maria Sadowska shows how appealing wealth and sex are. Easily drawing the audience in shows how easy it is to bring in the escorts.
All the early beauty is just a set up for the harsh realities of the industry. While there are some elements of empowerment, Girls to Buy is very much a cautionary tale. The film is less about showing what women can do than what it is what they should be wary of. The end result is for all the glitz, the story is a rather straightforward one.
This is not necessarily a bad thing. Girls to Buy does not need to use twists and turns to be effective. Its focus on how quickly a person can be blinded by extravagance is a simple lesson to understand. There will also be little surprise when things take a dark turn. The film succeeds by never allowing things to get trashy.
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