"People are roses. Families are rosebushes. Rosebushes need pruning”
First screened (where it was nominated) at the Berlin International Film Festival, ‘Rosebush Pruning’ was directed by Brazilian Karim Aïnouz. The screenplay, by Greek writer Efthimis Filippou (co- author of Alps and Dogtooth of Yorgos Lanthimos) explores a wealthy hedonistic family living in luxury in Cataluña with nothing to do, living in a situation that leads to tragedy, albeit with some surrealistic humour. The blunt dialogues shock as the 4 siblings takes bites out of each other at every chance, playing out how the excesses of patriarchy and capitalism can destroy whatever it comes into contact with.
With many scenes shot in saturated colours, with a blood red that echoes throughout, from bloodied fingers to an equally bloodied lamb carcass that is fed to the wolves deep in a forest, to be ravaged, just as they believe their own mother was, with a small cross marking the spot.
Callum Turner as Edward
This strange and surrealistic family constantly taunt each other with an edge of cruelty like invisible wolves, with little remorse, as they vie for the power that only the elder brother seems to hold.
Father (Tracey Letts) has been blinded (they say), from the extremely white teeth of his now disappeared wife (Pamela Anderson). He wields an unnatural control over the family at every turn. Every year, on the day of Mother’s death by wolf, the family perform a ritual. After gathering around a Greek style statue representing her, in their opulent home, they go deep into the forest at night, to feed the wolves that ate her, so they will not attack another innocent being.
But, is anyone innocent here?
Pamela Anderson as Mother
The only daughter Anna (Riley Keough) is praised but enslaved, as she labours every minute to cater for the whole family with no thanks, providing luxurious meals on a daily basis. In contrast, her brother Edward (Callum Turner) is immensely proud of his idleness, possible thanks to the large inheritance his mother left them.
“My name is Edward Taylor, I don’t write, I don’t read, I don’t drive,”
Ed hitchhikes everywhere, making up proverbs and spending time training himself to sound like his elder brother Jack (Jamie Bell) whom everyone looks up to like a God. Robert (Lukas Gage), the youngest sibling is traumatized, suffers from epilepsy and self-harms wearing lace stockings. Obsessed by fashion, in particular Donatella and Versace, he lies in his bed masturbating and dreaming of his brother Jack, whom he worships, quite convinced that the emotion is mutual.
Lukas Gage as Robert
Meanwhile Jack (Jamie Bell), who comes across as the only sane person around, has fallen in love with Martha (Elle Fanning), a beautiful young classical guitarist. His determination to marry her, unsettles everyone in the family, who resent her or anyone going anywhere near their beloved Jack. When Jack plans to finally leave, it sets off a chain of events as the remaining infantilized siblings struggle to cope.
Jamie Bell as Jack
In this opulent home with stunning scenery over the deep blue of the Mediterranean, the turquoise pool shimmers in the sun and the roses that Ed cares for, are startlingly red. The symbolic six bronze deer decorate the front of the home and throughout the film we get Ed (in a voice over), talking to the viewers about himself and his family: -
“I hate the written word and do not trust it. It is not a psychological reaction to the death of my mother, as some suggest, it is a conscious choice.”
Tracey Letts as Father and Riley Keough as Anna
Anna goads her father as she prepares his food, complaining that Martha is a gold digger whose worst trait is that she has no idea how to dress and is only after Jack’s money. Yet, as she helps her father to bed, there is an air of intolerance and even rage.
Martha sums ups some of the overall picture when she talks to Jack about her dog Rex: -
“When I was a kid, I had a dog and I was responsible for everything – he loved me more than anything and I loved him back. Then Rex got really sick and died. We buried him in the back yard- and while I watched Dad digging the hole for the dead dog, I could not cry … I did not have to touch his shit again… I was relieved.” To which Jack bursts into tears.
Like peeling the layers off an onion, we discover more and more dark secrets, revealing the reasons for some of that permeating rage, controlled and hidden, but present at all times.
Callum Turner as Ed, David (Jamie Bell) with Anna and Lukas Gage as Robert on couch
Aïnouz’s films often explore the evil that can be present within the most apparently idyllic families, such as in “The Invisible Life of Eurídice Gusmão” (2019) where the father separates his two daughters, who are extremely close, in the cruellest way imaginable. In ‘Rosebush Pruning’, the cruelty is not that visible, but it remains under the surface until it gradually starts to bubble up and explode.
Elle Fanning as Martha
Hélène Louvart’s (La Chimera (2023), The Invisible Life of Eurídice Gusmão (2019) cinematography is spectacular using the beauty of the Spanish landscapes to perfection and tight close- ups, where textures and colour intermingling creating a parallel language of their own. This is a multi-layered story that questions what it means to born into a large rich family shrouded with secrets that are unseen, even under the bright Spanish sunshine. Even though at times the film is a little clunky, and unsubtle, Karim Aïnouz does not disappoint and the overall effect is mesmerizing.
The images and characters in “Rosebush Pruning” stay with you long after the final credits.
‘Rosebush Pruning’ (2026) directed by Karim Aïnouz
Available on MUBI from August 21st 2026
Producers: Viola Fügen, Simone Gattoni, Michael Weber, Vladimir Zemtsov / DOP: Hélène Louvart / Editors: Dávid Jancsó. Ilka Janka Nagy, & Heike Parplies / Composer: Matthew Herbert/ Sound Designer and sound editor: Frank Kruse /The Match Factory & MUBI.
Cast:
CALLUM TURNER as ED / RILEY KEOUGH as Anna / JAMIE BELL as Jack / LUKAS GAGE as Robert /ELENA ANAYA as EMMA / TRACEY LETTS as Father/ PAMELA ANDERSON as Mother /ELLE FANNING as Martha / YORGOS STEFANAKOS as George.
The Invisible Life of Eurídice Gusmão by Karim Aïnouz review: https://www.latinolife.co.uk/articles/invisible-life-euridice-gusmao-2019-directed-karim-ainouz
