Sexually Perverse Black Comedy 'Rosebush Pruning' Shocks at Berlin Film Festival

Karim Aïnouz's latest film, co-written by Efthimis Filippou, is a wild ride of transgressive excess.

Published on Feb. 14, 2026

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Rosebush Pruning, a new sexually perverse black comedy from director Karim Aïnouz, premiered at the Berlin Film Festival to shock and awe. Co-written by Efthimis Filippou, a pioneer of the Greek 'Weird Wave' cinema, the film plays like a sleazy Eurotrash companion piece to Dogtooth, with a joyful meanness that recalls the work of filmmaker John Waters. The story follows the sexually charged dynamics of a dysfunctional family who have recently relocated from New York to Catalonia, led by a mother (Pamela Anderson) who was supposedly killed by wolves. As the family's incestuous entanglements and sartorial obsessions spiral out of control, the film delivers a riot of transgressive excess that pushes boundaries and elicits both shock and laughter from the audience.

Why it matters

Rosebush Pruning represents the latest provocation from Karim Aïnouz, the acclaimed Brazilian filmmaker known for his bold, sexually charged dramas. Co-written with Efthimis Filippou, a key figure in the Greek 'Weird Wave' cinema movement, the film pushes the boundaries of good taste and propriety, exploring themes of sexuality, family dysfunction, and the pursuit of transgression in a manner that recalls the work of filmmakers like Pedro Almodóvar and John Waters. The film's outrageous premise and committed performances from its young cast have generated significant buzz and controversy, positioning it as a must-see for fans of audacious, boundary-pushing cinema.

The details

Rosebush Pruning follows the sexually charged dynamics of the Bauer family, who have recently relocated from New York to Catalonia after the mysterious death of their mother. Led by the shallow and superficial Edward (Callum Turner), the family is obsessed with fashion, music, and their own incestuous desires. When Jack (Jamie Bell) brings home a new girlfriend, Martha (Elle Fanning), who doesn't fit the family's aesthetic, they conspire to tear the couple apart. What unfolds is a riot of transgressive excess, with each character indulging in their most perverse impulses, from Robert's (Lukas Gage) attempt to carve a vagina into his own thigh to the family's horrifying 'toothbrushing ritual' led by their blind father (Tracy Letts). At the center of it all is the mesmerizing performance of Riley Keough as the lascivious Anna, who is determined to keep her family's incestuous bond intact.

  • Rosebush Pruning premiered at the Berlin Film Festival on February 14, 2026.

The players

Karim Aïnouz

The Brazilian filmmaker known for his bold, sexually charged dramas, who directed Rosebush Pruning.

Efthimis Filippou

A Greek screenwriter and a pioneer of the 'Weird Wave' cinema movement, who co-wrote Rosebush Pruning with Karim Aïnouz.

Callum Turner

The actor who plays the shallow and superficial Edward, the leader of the Bauer family.

Riley Keough

The actress who delivers a mesmerizing performance as the lascivious Anna, one of the Bauer family members.

Elle Fanning

The actress who plays Martha, the new girlfriend of Jack Bauer, whose arrival disrupts the family's incestuous dynamics.

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What they’re saying

“Passion, love, sex, money… The Pet Shop Boys' 1986 hit 'Paninaro' acts as an unofficial manifesto for Rosebush Pruning, an outrageous pansexual pantomime so out-there that 'What the actual f*ck?' doesn't even begin to cover it.”

— Damon Wise, Critic (Deadline)

“Is there a plot? Well, there was in Marco Bellocchio's 1965 film Fists in the Pocket, which inspired Rosebush Pruning, but Aïnouz and Filippou don't really lean into that. Instead, the story focuses mostly on Jack and his attempts to leave his almost literally vampiric family by any means necessary, even though he is by no means any more normal than the others, given his fascination for blood, animal or menstrual.”

— Damon Wise, Critic (Deadline)

What’s next

The film is expected to generate significant discussion and controversy as it continues its festival run, with many anticipating a polarized response from audiences and critics alike.

The takeaway

Rosebush Pruning represents the latest provocation from Karim Aïnouz, a filmmaker unafraid to push the boundaries of good taste and propriety. Co-written with Efthimis Filippou, the film's outrageous premise and committed performances from its young cast have generated significant buzz, positioning it as a must-see for fans of audacious, boundary-pushing cinema.