Risky, Destabilizing, Fun: Inside Karim Aïnouz’s ‘Rosebush Pruning’
Rosebush Pruning: A Movie That Wants You to Feel Uncomfortable (And Why That’s the Point)
Think of it like this: Most movies are like a cozy blanket—they wrap you up in a familiar story where good guys win, bad guys lose, and you leave feeling good. Rosebush Pruning is more like a cold shower. It wakes you up, makes you squirm, and asks: "Why are you okay with this?"
What Is Rosebush Pruning?
- Director: Karim Aïnouz (a Brazilian filmmaker known for shaking things up)
- Stars: Callum Turner, Elle Fanning, Lukas Gage, Riley Keough, Jamie Bell, Tracy Letts, Pamela Anderson
- Inspired by: A 1965 Italian film called Fists in the Pocket (about a rebellious, messed-up family)
- Setting: A wealthy white family’s beautiful house in Catalonia, Spain
- Vibe: Dark, weird, funny, disturbing—sometimes all at once
In theaters now (distributed by Mubi).
The Director’s Big Idea: Making Movies That Feel Weird
Karim Aïnouz doesn’t want you to just watch his movie. He wants you to feel something strange.
Aïnouz told Yahoo Canada:
"I find it very interesting that people are disturbed by the movie, but they’re not disturbed by what’s happening every day… all over the world."
He calls it a "contract with the audience."
- Normal contract: "I’ll make you care, you’ll feel empathy, we’ll both feel good."
- His contract: "I’ll make you uncomfortable. You’ll laugh, then feel gross for laughing. That’s the deal."
Why does he do this?
- To wake you up. Real life is full of absurd, terrible things. Movies usually hide that. He doesn’t.
- To ask questions. "Am I supposed to laugh? Be disgusted? Both?"
- To denaturalize (fancy word for: "make you see how weird ‘normal’ really is").
His test after screenings: "It was really fun, right?"
If you had fun, there’s something deeper hiding under that fun.
A Trilogy About Toxic Men, Wealth, and Power
Aïnouz didn’t plan it, but his last three films form a trilogy (a three-part story) about toxic masculinity:
| Film | Year | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Firebrand | 2023 | Historical drama, power, abuse |
| Motel Destino | 2024 | Desire, danger, male violence |
| Rosebush Pruning | 2025/2026 | Whiteness + privilege + extreme wealth = "a really horrible poison" |
What’s the "poison"?
Aïnouz:
"It’s an exponential recipe for a really horrible poison."
He’s talking about men who are:
- Abusive & patriarchal (control others, especially women)
- Super rich (money shields them)
- White (society often protects them)
Key insight: These "monsters" aren’t aliens. They’re people like us. That’s what makes it scary.
Why Absurdity Matters
Aïnouz woke up one January 3rd, saw news of an invasion (Venezuela), and thought: "This is not real."
That feeling—the world is absurd, and we just accept it—infected the movie.
- The family’s cruelty isn’t in a castle or a motel.
- It’s in a nice house, with nice clothes, drinking nice wine.
- That’s the horror. It’s normal.
Damaged Families, Not Just "Dysfunctional"
Critics call it a "dysfunctional family movie." Aïnouz says: No. It’s worse.
- Dysfunctional = messy, but fixable.
- Damaged = deep, generational wounds. The kind that don’t heal easily.
So… how does it end? Can the cycle stop?
Two things offer hope (but they’re not pretty):
- Love – Real, messy, complicated love. Not the movie kind.
- Violence – But not random violence.
Aïnouz:
"You cannot break the cycle without violence, because it’s not you infringing violence, it’s been infringed upon you for ages and ages."
Translation: The family has been hurting each other for generations. Sometimes, fighting back is the only way out.
Music matters too. Aïnouz picked every song to give you catharsis (that ahhh release) by the end.
The Fun of Breaking the Rules
Aïnouz loves experimental films (movies that break all the rules).
- No straight line from A to B.
- Dreams, memories, and feelings mix with reality.
- He calls it "embracing the unconscious."
Aïnouz:
"It was the most exciting ride I’ve ever had making a movie… there was a lot of beauty, a lot of imagination, something visually super delicious."
But it’s risky.
- You might hate it.
- You might feel lost.
- That’s okay with him. He’s not here to make you comfortable.
Important Points to Remember
CALL OUT: THIS MOVIE IS NOT FOR EVERYONE
- It’s deliberately uncomfortable.
- It mixes dark comedy with real horror.
- It doesn’t judge its characters—it shows them, up close.
- It asks you to judge.
- Violence is shown as a response to generational trauma, not glorified.
- Pamela Anderson gives a surprising, powerful performance.
- The music is a character itself.
Summary
Rosebush Pruning is Karim Aïnouz’s experiment:
"What happens if I lock you in a room for 90 minutes and show you a wealthy, white, damaged family—and make you laugh at them, then feel sick about it?"
It’s the third film in an accidental trilogy about toxic masculinity, whiteness, and privilege.
It refuses to let you off the hook with easy empathy.
It says: These monsters are us. And the only way out might be through the fire.
Love, music, and yes—violence—are the tools.
Fun is the trap.
Discomfort is the point.
FAQ
Is Rosebush Pruning a horror movie?
No. It’s a dark drama with absurdist comedy. The horror comes from recognizing the characters, not jump scares.
Do I need to see Fists in the Pocket (1965) first?
Not at all. It’s loosely adapted—same rebellious spirit, totally new story, setting, and language.
Why does the director keep asking "Was it fun?"
Because fun is the gateway. If you enjoyed the ride, you’ll stick around for the hard questions underneath.
Is Pamela Anderson good in it?
Yes. Critics and the director highlight her performance as raw, unexpected, and pivotal.
What does "denaturalize" mean in this context?
It means: Make the familiar feel strange. Show you that what you call "normal" (wealth, power, family secrets) is actually absurd and cruel—you just stopped noticing.
Final thought:
Rosebush Pruning doesn’t want your approval.
It wants your attention.
And maybe… your discomfort.