Rosebush Pruning
The brief
Karim Aïnouz trades his Brazilian roots for gothic family dysfunction, and the result feels like *The Royal Tenenbaums* if Wes Anderson had a severe depression episode. The gorgeous Spanish villa becomes a gilded cage where Callum Turner and Riley Keough deliver slow-burn performances that simmer with inherited trauma and sibling resentment. Aïnouz lets scenes breathe almost uncomfortably long, creating this suffocating atmosphere where every family dinner feels like a potential crime scene. Perfect for fans of *I Am Love* or anyone who enjoys watching beautiful people destroy each other in beautiful locations.
The verdict
If you have the patience for slow-burn family dysfunction and appreciate gorgeous cinematography wrapped around sibling resentment, this is a beautifully suffocating watch. If you need your dramas to move at anything faster than a funeral pace, the glacial pacing and depression-soaked atmosphere will test your endurance.
Watch with
- 👤 Perfect for art house film lovers who appreciate slow burn character studies
- ⚠️ Skip if you need fast-paced entertainment or dislike family drama
Heads up
- Family dysfunction and emotional manipulation (frequent)
- Discussion of parental death and family secrets (moderate)
- Psychological tension and sibling conflict (moderate)
Credits
- Director
- Karim Aïnouz
- Cast
- Callum Turner, Riley Keough, Jamie Bell, Lukas Gage, Elena Anaya, Tracy Letts, Elle Fanning
Official synopsis
In a Spanish villa, American siblings Jack, Ed, Anna and Robert wallow in isolation and their inherited fortune.
The Double
Make a night of it
Pair this with The Master (2012)
Both explore fractured family dynamics and inherited psychological trauma.
Total runtime: 1h 37m + 2h 17m = 3h 54m
