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Tangles

Play trailer 1:42 Poster for Tangles R 1h 42m Drama Animation Play Trailer Watchlist
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95% Tomatometer 20 Reviews Popcornmeter 0 Verified Ratings
Sarah leaves her exciting life as an activist and artist in 90s San Francisco to return to the small, conservative hometown she fled when Alzheimer’s begins to erode her mother’s vibrant personality. Forced to grow up quickly, she juggles a new relationship, long-held career ambitions, and an eccentric family she literally follows to Mexico and back in a last-ditch effort to make them take the situation seriously. Confronting a disorienting reality she can’t control, Sarah must find her footing - learning to accept her mother’s decline and the imperfect beauty of her family - in order to become the daughter they need.

Critics Reviews

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Peter Howell Toronto Star May 26, 2026
The difficult topic and mostly B&W lensing might suggest a darker tone than the film uses, but neither director/co-writer Nelson nor co-writer Leavitt want us to wallow in misery -- especially with a richly comic voice cast. Go to Full Review
Guy Lodge Variety May 26, 2026
The distinctive visual storytelling of Canadian cartoonist Sarah Leavitt is deftly and stylishly transferred to the big screen in “Tangles,” an honestly felt and highly affecting adaptation of her autobiographical graphic novel of the same name. Go to Full Review
Brian Tallerico RogerEbert.com May 20, 2026
It is a story of being cheated by dementia, a personal love letter to a mother taken too soon Go to Full Review
Christopher Llewellyn Reed Hammer to Nail Oct 20, 2026
Universal in scope thanks to its specificity of detail, "Tangles" delivers a moving testament to how love and memory (and jokes) help us bear overwhelming grief. Go to Full Review
Will Hume Flickering Myth Oct 4, 2026
Tangles shows how adapting a compelling true story is not enough when, due to the difficulty of making films, it is undermined by phoney Hollywood sentimentality. Go to Full Review
Doug Jamieson The Jam Report Oct 3, 2026
4/5
Funny, tender and devastating in equal measure, Tangles understands that losing someone to Alzheimer's means grieving them repeatedly, often while they're still sitting beside you. Go to Full Review
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Movie Info

Synopsis Sarah leaves her exciting life as an activist and artist in 90s San Francisco to return to the small, conservative hometown she fled when Alzheimer’s begins to erode her mother’s vibrant personality. Forced to grow up quickly, she juggles a new relationship, long-held career ambitions, and an eccentric family she literally follows to Mexico and back in a last-ditch effort to make them take the situation seriously. Confronting a disorienting reality she can’t control, Sarah must find her footing - learning to accept her mother’s decline and the imperfect beauty of her family - in order to become the daughter they need.
Director
Leah Nelson
Producer
Vicky Patel, Steve Barnett, Alan Powell, Seth Rogen, Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Screenwriter
Sarah Leavitt, Leah Nelson, Trev Renney
Distributor
Independent Film Company
Production Co
Monarch Media, Point Grey Pictures, Giant Ant Films, LYLAS Pictures
Rating
R
Genre
Drama, Animation
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jan 15, 2027, Limited
Runtime
1h 42m
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