An ensemble cast elevates this post-Saltburn take on the thriller focused on the rich.

Rosebush Pruning at first seems like another unwanted, uninspired, and uninteresting glimpse into the lives of rich characters. For whatever reason, the media continues trying to sell us on the idea that watching wealthy people live privileged lives is what we want. So there was an involuntary eye roll as the movie began to set up the world we’d be inhabiting. However, Rosebush Pruning benefits (and suffers a bit) due to the Saltburnification of this weird subgenre of dark comedies that lean into thriller territory. Much like films of this pedigree, it’s just dark enough to land in the recommendations for genre kids who enjoy a WTF moment.

The film follows a wealthy American family that relocated to Catalonia, Spain. They live out their codependent and incestuous days in excess. The film sets up Ed (Callum Turner) as our narrator as he introduces us to his odd family. The patriarch, Father (Tracy Letts), is a mysterious figure who is blind but seemingly keeps his four adult children under his thumb. Jack (Jamie Bell) is the eldest son who wants to start a life with his girlfriend, Martha (Elle Fanning). However, he has a hard time untangling himself from his responsibilities as an eldest son while trying to keep Martha a safe distance from his relatives. Anna (Riley Keough) and Robert (Lukas Gage) are the two siblings who want to fuck Jack. They make it very obvious and do not care if the attraction is one-sided.

We soon learn that Father told the brood that Mother (Pamela Anderson) was torn apart by wolves, and there was nothing left of her body to salvage. He makes them all take a sacrifice to her death site every month as a family outing. We also discover that he summons Jack when he brushes his teeth in the evenings. These eccentricities are the gentle nods that alert the audience that this family is somehow even stranger than we think they are. However, Rosebush Pruning is a slippery slope of secrets, lies, and betrayals. It quickly becomes apparent that no one is what they seem, and they all have extremely selfish wants and needs. They also assume that their place in the family hierarchy provides them with safety, along with their wealth and privilege. 

When members of the family begin to turn on each other, it elevates the movie from the middle-of-the-road film it was starting to settle into. As a recovering theatre kid, I’ve seen my fair share of eclectic ensembles that allow everyone a character study. Actors love to play mean and nasty scenes across from actors who are also living their best villainous life. As spectators, we love to see people say whatever they want and go after whatever they want. Even when it gives us the wiggins (like watching siblings try to bang their brother), it’s human nature to lean in a little more. So, I’m unbothered that Rosebush Pruning actually feels like something you would associate with Letts and maybe even see him in at Steppenwolf Theatre. Ironically, this film feels thematically similar to Letts’ own August: Osage County in many ways.

Efthimis Filippou’s screenplay is adapted from 1965’s Fists in the Pocket by Marco Bellocchio. Its modernization of key plot points works in its favor but also highlights some of the more questionable issues that will raise some feathers and cause some internet discourse. Cinematographer Hélène Louvart keeps the film visually interesting even when the plot loses a bit of steam every so often. It’s also tempting to ask Karim Aïnouz if he’s anticipating Saltburn and The Substance vibe comparisons for specific scenes and the final moment.

Rosebush Pruning isn’t my favorite satire, although I do love a dark comedy. It’s not even my favorite exploration of the 1% we’ve had in the last couple of years. However, I love that it lets its cast stretch those acting muscles as everyone gets to be a villain for a day. The film definitely needs some content warnings for the moment when we find out why Father requests someone to help him brush his teeth at night. That’s not going to play well with a lot of people and might be the final straw for most audience members. However, I didn’t hate watching this predictable tale unravel. I even enjoyed some of the backroads it took to get to the obvious destination.

If you like your movies strange and gorgeous, then you might want to check this out. If vibes aren’t always enough to hold you over between WTF moments that build up to some bold murders, you might not be as okay about it as I am. However, I think it’s cool to be a fine enough movie amid so many bad movies. I’m also curious how many other thrillers we’ll see trying on Emerald Fennell’s clothes only to discover they don’t quite fit. I imagine this will be more memorable because it is one of the first in that long Saltburn shadow.