“Animation is cinema. Animation is not a genre for kids. It’s a medium for art, it’s a medium for film.” –Guillermo del Toro. This animated film from the 2026 Cannes Film Festival is one of the highlights of 2026 so far when it comes to animation. Tangles is the feature directorial debut from up-and-coming filmmaker Leah Nelson, adapting a graphic novel by Sarah Leavitt. Her book is subtitled “A Story About Alzheimer’s, My Mother and Me” – it’s an autobiographical tale of her experiences with a mother whose memory begins to degrade. Leah Nelson & her team took this story and turned it into an absolutely beautiful animated film, embracing the same B&W style from the graphic novel. Tangles is a B&W film with a few glimmers of color that pop up throughout. It’s an emotionally devastating, unashamedly compassionate, brutally honest look at Alzheimer’s disease and how hard it is for other family members to deal with when it gets worse. Yet it’s also an emotionally invigorating and especially touching story in the way it’s so open about vulnerability and hardship. Tangles is a singular animation creation that should connect with audiences all around the world. // Continue Reading ›
