Karim Aïnouz has delivered a gloriously deranged portrait of rich-kid rot, turning Efthimis Filippou’s twisted screenplay into a film that is equal parts absurd comedy and sharp social commentary.
When Rosebush Pruning”>Rosebush Pruning premiered at the 2026 Berlin Film Festival, some critics were initially bullish. But soon, they found themselves experiencing something far more unsettling: a bone-dry, button-pushing comedy that dives deep into nuclear-level family dysfunction. This is not just a film; it’s a surreal exploration of status anxiety, sexual trauma, and the deeply disturbing delusions that can flourish behind the walls of extreme wealth.
At its heart, the movie guides us through the egocentric world of spendthrifts, following Callum Turner as Ed, a bumptious dreamer hitchhiking home from Greece. Ed’s journey is complicated by his relationship with an older man he met at an expo, leaving plenty of residual fondness between the pair—and some decidedly inappropriate trading of pictures along the way.
Ed returns to his asymmetrical modernist villa in the wilderness, where he encounters his bizarre clan: his dominant older brother Jack (Jamie Bell), the fashion-obsessed middle brother Robert (Lukas Gage), and sister Anna (Riley Keough), who harbors some legally dubious passions for her male siblings. Lording over this group of slumming wastrels is the father, played by Tracy Letts, a blind tyrant whose aggressive manner has clearly warped the worldview of his brood. This family dynamic transforms into a kind of designer prison, leaving the inmates wondering if they want to escape or simply burn the entire structure down.
Aïnouz leans into these fawning, air-headed protagonists by creating a hyper-stylized world that allows their self-absorption to thrive. The film masterfully pushes the notion that immense wealth inevitably leads to profound disconnection, which then paves the way for shocking transgression. Filippou’s dialogue acts as a surreal satire on the dead-eyed fashionista parlance that dominates social media culture, peppered with snarky zings aimed squarely at the family’s OTT sense of entitlement.
While the performers revel in the film’s alienatingly ironic tone, a standout performance is delivered by Pamela Anderson, who proves she possesses absolutely killer comic timing through her supporting role. Even the kooky elements, such as Ed’s ability to mimic voices, add to the bizarre atmosphere.
Rosebush Pruning”>Rosebush Pruning might be considered a weird, bad time at the movies, but it is ultimately a film that selects its targets and hits them with dead aim. It’s a chaotic, unforgettable experience that reminds us that sometimes, the most meaningful stories are found in the wreckage of opulent delusion.
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Credit: Little White Lies
