‘Paying for It’ review: Sook‑Yin Lee adapts Chester Brown’s graphic novel

On Jan. 29, 2026, Chris Azzopardi reviewed Paying for It, a 1 hour 25 minute comedy‑drama directed by Sook‑Yin Lee, now in theaters, starring Emily Lê and Dan Beirne and set in a Toronto home. In the film Sonny (Emily Lê), a TV host, tells her boyfriend Chester (Dan Beirne), 'I think I’m falling in love with someone else.' They remain affectionate but sexless; Sonny brings new lovers home while Chester begins hiring prostitutes, who he books through classified ads and tips generously.

The review notes the sex is portrayed in a grounded way — described as a course correction from the glossy, male‑gazed intimacy of turn‑of‑the‑century cinema. Chester’s scenes emphasize a gentle masculinity and are scored to instrumental jazz. Lee, the former partner of the real‑life cartoonist Chester Brown, revisits her past through Sonny and draws directly from Brown’s 2011 graphic novel and its chronicle of his sexual adventures.

Onscreen Lee casts Chester as the more sympathetic character, highlighting his patience and care; that emotional imbalance is said to drive the story toward a poignant conclusion. The film keeps its narrative tight, perhaps overly simple, and amplifies retro intimacy with striking primary colors and a lo‑fi rock soundtrack.

Known: the film is not rated, runs 1 hour 25 minutes and is in theaters.

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