PARK CITY – The short synopsis of Josef Kubota Wladyka’s “Ha-chan, Shake Your Booty!” is a bit of a misdirect. A widower in her mid-40s who gets her groove back in Tokyo’s ballroom scene? That scenario sounds somewhat familiar, right? So much so that you might assume you’ve bought a ticket to watch the sort of crowd-pleaser that was a staple of the arthouse scene for a good chunk of the past 30 years. Refreshingly, Wladyka and his screenwriting collaborator Nicholas Huynh are well aware of the assumptions most viewers will make and have no intention of crafting predictable, safe, comfort food. Instead, they are here to delight and surprise. And, also embrace that crowd-pleaser energy in their own unique way.
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A world premiere in the U.S. Dramatic Competition at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival, “Booty!” begins with Haru (Rinko Kikuchi) and her husband, Luis (Albert Guerra), who are amateur competitors in the Tokyo ballroom scene. When Luis tragically passes away, Haru is distraught. Her nightmare seemingly gets worse when Louis’ compassionate father insists on returning his son’s body to Mexico. She’s crushed. The love of her life wanted to be cremated in a traditional Japanese cremation ceremony. She can’t envision his soul finding peace.
Nine months later, our heroine has barely left her home. Her conservative sister Yuki (Yoh Yoshida) and foul-mouthed cousin Hiromi (YOU), who might have spent too much time living in New York City, finally coax her back to the dance studio. The moment she sets her eyes on the enchanting new instructor, Fedir (Alejandro Edda), she is awestruck. It’s some incarnation of love (or lust) at first sight. From that point on, you can practically play out a predictable storyline in your head. Maybe Fedir convinces Haura to compete again, and they win a big competition, turning her life around. Maybe Haura realizes Fedir isn’t for her and learns to move on using ballroom as her guide. Spoiler: that’s not in the cards whatsoever.
Trust, “Shake Your Booty!” is going to have some fun, you can count on it, but at its core, this is a film about grief. About realizing that life is messy and you need to move on when you’re ready to. Not when everyone around thinks you should. But Fedir’s inherent kindness might inadvertently assist in Haura’s endeavor.
She may not be as outlandish as her brash cousin, but it’s obvious from the moment Haura appears on screen that she embraces her own eccentricities. Wladyka dives into the magical realism that is warping Haru’s perspective by having a supernatural yōkai, a giant stuffed crow possessed by her husband’s spirit (Guerra), give her momentary peace. Or maybe the yōkai is her subconscious trying to wrestle her free of her sorrow. Whatever the case, it’s not here to haunt or scare her. And by making it so adorable, Wladyka makes sure of it.
In other instances, Haru imagines Fedir fighting off a pack of men who disrespect her (then again, maybe she didn’t completely imagine it). She might even reconcile her feelings for both Fedir and her departed in a scene that is wonderfully timed to the current “Heated Rivalry” phenomenon (not a stretch, we swear). This is one of those movies where the dream sequences somehow never outstay their welcome.
The more time she spends with Fedir, the more we begin to experience her once joyous worldview come back to life. Wladyka peppers one brilliant reference after another (that we absolutely won’t spoil) and a euphoric dance number or two that embrace the structure of the feel-good flick. You’ll laugh, you’ll smile ear to ear, you might even tear up, and then Wladyka will jolt you by twisting the narrative once again. Yes, Haru’s journey is more soulful and heartbreaking than you may want it to be. And that somehow makes the magical moments even more endearing.
Oh, wait, did we mention the film somehow tackles open relationships in a manner that’s rarely seen in heterosexual relationships on screen? Let alone in the context of “conservative” Japanese society? Again, Wladyka and Huynh are full of surprises. This movie has depth and sophistication to spare.
The filmmakers are assisted by a pretty fantastic cast, but “Shake Your Booty!” is primarily a showcase for Kikuchi. The movie simply wouldn’t work without her quiet charisma. How she balances the highs and lows of Haru’s mental state with so little dialogue is something of a minor miracle. Moreover, Edda is also excellent, giving Fedir genuine depth and making sure he’s more than a foil for Haru’s romantic exploits. That being said, it’s Wladyka’s confident direction that makes the entire escapade soar. So many moments could have fallen flat or not worked even in context, but he pieces it together almost perfectly. Considering what a departure this is from the filmmaker’s previous work, you have to hope he can pull off something this distinctive again.
“Booty!” does leave you with some questions, though. You’re not really sure how Haru survives financially, how she’s paying for this adorable little house she has, let alone her dance lessons. There are some plot points that are cast aside. But the movie can be forgiven for that. It dives into just enough romantic whimsy that it doesn’t truly matter. You’re rooting for Haru to get back on track and, well, maybe a big, life-affirming dance number at the end. And in his own way, Wladyka might oblige in an exhilarating finale you thought you were signing up for in the first place. How can you not love that? [A-/B+]
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Editor-at-Large Gregory Ellwood is one of Hollywood's most respected awards journalists, covering the Oscars and Emmys beat with the access and institutional knowledge that comes from decades reporting at the center of the industry. Based in West Hollywood, he has written for the LA Times, Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, HitFix, and Vox, among others.
