Tangles is a 2026 adult animated biographical drama film directed by Leah Nelson, co-written with Sarah Leavitt and Trev Renney, based on Leavitt's graphic novel Tangles: A Story About Alzheimer's, My Mother and Me. It stars Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Abbi Jacobson, Bryan Cranston, Beanie Feldstein, Seth Rogen, Samira Wiley, Pamela Adlon, Sarah Silverman, Bowen Yang, and Wanda Sykes.
The film had its world premiere at the Special Screenings section of the 2026 Cannes Film Festival on May 14, where it was nominated for the Caméra d'Or and the Queer Palm.
Premise When Alzheimer's disease begins to strip away Midge's vibrant personality, her daughter Sarah, a headstrong young woman, is forced to return to her oddball family in the conservative small town she recently fled in order to care for her. She quickly realizes she must accept the cruel and warped reality of the disease — and the imperfect beauty of her family — in order to become the daughter they need.
Voice cast Abbi Jacobson as Sarah Fern Grandin as Young Sarah Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Midge Bryan Cranston as Rob Samira Wiley as Donimo Beanie Feldstein as Hannah Seth Rogen as Zach Pamela Adlon as Aunt Debbie Sarah Silverman as Aunt Sukey Bowen Yang as Dale Wanda Sykes as Paula Phil Rosenthal as Rabbi Adam Shapiro as Gregory Pat Finn as Agent Nelson Sugar Lyn Beard as Flight Attendant
Production In April 2024, it was announced that Julia Louis-Dreyfus would produce and star in an animated adaptation of Tangles: A Story About Alzheimer's, My Mother and Me, which would be co-written by Sarah Leavitt, the author of the graphic novel. The rest of the cast was also revealed with the announcement.
Release Tangles premiered at the Special Screenings section at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival on May 14, where it received a 7-minute standing ovation. In August 2026, Independent Film Company acquired distribution rights to the film, with a planned Oscar qualifying release in late 2026 prior to a wider release in 2027.
It will have its North American premiere in the Centrepiece program at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival.Kate Erbland, TIFF Adds More Than 60 New Titles, Including Festival Winners ‘La Gradiva’ and ‘Ha-Chan, Shake Your Booty!’". IndieWire, August 4, 2026.
Reception On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 100% based on 17 reviews, with an average rating of 8.0/10.
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