ROSEBUSH PRUNING (2026)

This review contains mild spoilers for both this film and Dogtooth.

Efthymis Filippou, the screenwriter here, has gone sniffing at the rancid underbelly of insular patriarchal families before, most notably in his script for Dogtooth (co-written with his frequent collaborator, Yorgos Lanthimos, Dogtooth's director). Filippou and Lanthimos have also accurately diagnosed—again in Dogtooth—how patriarchal power, left unchecked, can threaten to corrode into incest. These themes remain all too relevant here in 2026's psychosexual clime, but anyone hopeful that the thematic similarities between this film and Dogtooth will extend to a recapturing of Dogtooth's subversive spark and formal rigor is likely to come away disappointed: Rosebush Pruning is less playful and more unpleasant, and it ultimately overstays its welcome, despite a reasonably brief runtime of 97 min.

Part of the blame here likely lies with director Karim Aïnouz—although Aïnouz has a marvelous eye, and the film is often beautifully shot and staged, even a small dose of Lanthimos' cool stylistic touch could have provided a needed bit of distance between us and the repellent characters onscreen. But one must say that Filippou isn't giving us his best either. This feels, at times, like he's served us up some rewarmed leftovers: it lacks the brilliant high-concept scaffolding that helps support the best of the Lanthimos/Filippou collaborations (Dogtooth, The Lobster, the underrated Alps), so the flaws stand in sharper relief, and one suspects that there's no director working today who could have made this into a more nutritive meal.

There's a fine cast here, and most of the performers seem to be having fun in their roles, but it's especially nice to see Pamela Anderson having fun with her role in particular, and an extra half star here is awarded in her honor.

A ★★½ review of Rosebush Pruning (2026)

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