Tangles Review: A Heartfelt Animated Memoir Powered by a Stellar Voice Cast

Illness dramas are rarely aspirational, especially when they center on diseases as devastating as Alzheimer’s. Yet anyone facing such a challenge would be fortunate to navigate it with the family in Tangles, an affectionate and irreverent animated memoir that infuses every stage of grief with sharp wit. Backed by an exceptional voice cast and a masterful grasp of tearjerker storytelling, the film’s warm familiarity should resonate widely after its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival on May 16, 2024.

Sarah’s Life in 1999: A Moment of Bliss Before Turmoil

The year is 1999, and Sarah (Abbi Jacobson) is living her best life. The 20-something has shed her teenage awkwardness, come out to her friends and family, and embraced San Francisco’s queer scene. As an aspiring cartoonist, she’s also found romance with Donimo (Samira Wiley), a dreamy biker girl, and landed a promising media job. While these details scream period piece, they also set the stage for Sarah’s life to take an unexpected turn.

A Family in Denial

Sarah’s family—directed by Leah Nelson and co-written by Sarah Leavitt, based on her memoir—shares her nostalgic fondness for simpler times. They linger on happier memories even as denial quietly creeps in. Everyone notices something is off with Mom, Midge (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), a vibrant woman in her early 50s. She dismisses her symptoms as menopause, while her husband (Bryan Cranston) and sisters (Pamela Adlon and Sarah Silverman) agree. Meanwhile, Sarah’s younger sister Hannah (Beanie Feldstein) is preoccupied with her own romantic misadventures, leaving Sarah to confront the unspoken truth no one else wants to face.

A Voice Cast Rooted in Comedy and Authenticity

The voice cast of Tangles—which also includes Philip Rosenthal as a rabbi—shares a common thread: they all come from comedy. This background ties into the film’s producers, Seth Rogen and Lauren Miller Rogen, who have long blended filmmaking with Alzheimer’s philanthropy. The result is a film that prioritizes authenticity in both storytelling and representation.

Visual Storytelling: From Comic to Screen

Tangles builds on a bold artistic premise, translating the impressionistic and surreal visuals of Leavitt’s source comic—where idioms like "the ground giving way" or "the walls closing in" are literalized—to reflect the emotional toll of the story. The film sharpens this vision with contemporary American humor, balancing its austere charcoal visual palette with a mischievous spirit.

One standout scene captures this tone perfectly: the family waits for a doctor’s diagnosis, and until the dreaded word is spoken, every other possibility still feels within reach. The clinic transforms into a casino as the family silently roots for a less catastrophic outcome. In a moment of dark humor, Jacobson’s Sarah blurts out,

"Come on, syphilis!"

Premiere and Legacy

Tangles premieres at the Cannes Film Festival on May 16, 2024, where its blend of humor, heart, and honesty is poised to leave a lasting impression. The film’s unique approach to storytelling, anchored by a powerhouse voice cast and a deeply personal source material, makes it a standout entry in the animated genre.