Coming off the high-octane energy of Birds of Prey, director Cathy Yan returns to the director's chair with The Gallerist, a psychological thriller that attempts to pull back the velvet curtain on the predatory nature of the high-stakes art world. Co-written by Yan and James Pedersen and produced by MountainA and Concordia Studio, the film made its world premiere at the Eccles Theater on January 24, 2026, as one of the most anticipated titles of the Sundance Film Festival. While theatrical box office numbers are yet to be determined, the sheer weight of its A-list cast ensures that it will remain a talking point for the duration of its festival run and subsequent release later this year.
The story is set against the neon-soaked, high-stress backdrop of Miami just as Art Basel is about to begin. Natalie Portman stars as Polina Polinski, an uptight and recently divorced gallerist whose professional survival depends on the success of her upcoming premiere. Desperate for a positive buzz, she invites a notorious and vitriolic social media influencer, Dalton Hardberry (Zach Galifianakis), for an early look at the works of emerging artist Stella Burgess (Da'Vine Joy Randolph). Initially, Dalton is unimpressed, raining down theatrical scorn on everything he sees. However, the tide turns when he encounters "The Emasculator," a hyperrealist large-scale sculpture that immediately goes viral. This sudden digital fame draws the attention of Marianne Gorman (Catherine Zeta-Jones), a legendary and ruthless art dealer. As the machine of the art world begins to grind, Polina and her assistant Kiki (Jenna Ortega) find themselves trapped in a web of social clout, profit, and perhaps even a crime hidden in plain sight.
Story and Screenplay: A Canvas with Too Many Erasures
The narrative quality of The Gallerist is built on a foundation of intrigue that unfortunately begins to crumble as the stakes escalate. James Pedersen and Cathy Yan’s script sets out to skewer the plasticity of a world where "important voices" are only valued if they can be turned into profit. The structure follows the traditional rise and fall of a scheme, but the internal logic often feels secondary to the next big dramatic beat. The viral success of "The Emasculator" serves as the inciting incident, but the script struggles to move beyond the surface level of this commentary. It gestures toward themes of generational divide and the hollowness of social media fame, yet it never quite commits to a specific perspective.
Pacing and rhythm are also areas of concern. At 94 minutes, the film should feel like a tight, propulsive thriller, but instead, it feels both rushed and strangely static. We spend a lot of time watching characters argue at a "fever-pitch," yet the actual progression of the plot feels like it is treading water until the final act. The originality of the setting is a plus, as the Miami art scene is ripe for parody, but the script’s strengths are frequently undermined by its weaknesses in character motivation. We are asked to believe in a complex scheme involving art dealers and collectors, but the mechanics of this plan are often obscured by theatrical histrionics rather than being built on a solid, suspenseful foundation. It is a screenplay that wants to be both a biting satire and a dark mystery, but it lacks the precision to succeed at either.
Acting and Characters: Histrionics vs. Statues
The lead performances from Natalie Portman and Jenna Ortega are the primary reason to watch The Gallerist. Portman leans into the high-strung, brittle nature of Polina, portraying a woman who is permanently on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Ortega, as her assistant Kiki, proves to be a formidable screen partner, matching Portman’s intensity with a grounded, watchful cynicism. When the two of them are on screen together, the film "crackles" with an energy that suggests a much better movie than the one we actually got. Their chemistry is the only thing that feels genuinely "made indelible" in the entire production.
The supporting cast, however, feels like they are acting in several different films at once. Catherine Zeta-Jones plays Marianne Gorman as an "emotionless statue," a choice that might be intended to show her character’s cold professionalism but instead comes across as a disconnect from the high-energy performances of the leads. Da'Vine Joy Randolph, who has proven herself an incredible talent in recent years, is sadly underserved by a script that doesn't know what to do with her artist character beyond making her a plot point. Zach Galifianakis brings his signature brand of awkward hostility to Dalton Hardberry, but the character feels like a caricature we have seen many times before. Surprisingly, it is Daniel Brühl, as a morally flexible Spanish art collector, who seems to be having the most fun. He is the only actor who manages to find a tone that balances the film’s absurdity with its thriller elements, providing a much-needed lightness to the otherwise heavy-handed proceedings.
Direction and Technical Aspects: A Sinking Ship in Dutch Angles
Cathy Yan’s directorial vision for The Gallerist is certainly distinct, but it is also "roughshod and uneven." There is a sense that Yan is trying to replicate the frenetic energy of her previous work, but the transition to a psychological thriller is a bumpy one. Her direction of the actors is particularly puzzling, as she allows Portman and Ortega to reach a level of theatricality that often clashes with the more subdued or static performances of the supporting cast. This lack of tonal consistency makes it difficult for the audience to know how to feel about the events unfolding on screen.
From a technical standpoint, the cinematography by Federico Cesca is the film’s most interesting feature. Cesca makes frequent and aggressive use of Dutch angles, creating a visual composition that makes the viewer feel like they are on a "sinking ship." While this effectively communicates the instability of Polina’s world, the gimmick is eventually overused to the point of distraction. The visual storytelling leans heavily on the aesthetic of the art gallery, with sterile white walls and high-concept sculptures serving as a cold backdrop to the human messiness. The production design is sleek and convincingly "Miami," capturing the superficial beauty of the art world perfectly. However, these polished technical elements can't fully compensate for a directorial style that feels at odds with itself.
Music and Atmosphere: The Sound of Plasticity
The overall mood and tone of The Gallerist are defined by a sense of artificiality. This is likely intentional, as the film aims to critique a world built on social clout and appearances, but the atmosphere often feels more hollow than haunting. The score and soundtrack attempt to build tension, but they frequently feel like they are trying to force an emotional response that the script hasn't earned. There is a lack of atmospheric nuance; the film is either at a ten or a zero, with very little in between.
The sound design does its best to enhance the experience, capturing the chaotic energy of a Miami art premiere and the hollow echoes of an empty gallery. But because no one seems to be in the same film, the audio experience often feels just as disjointed as the visual one. The atmosphere should have been one of escalating dread, a slow realization that the characters are trapped in a ruthless machine of their own making. Instead, it feels more like a series of high-pitched arguments in a very expensive room. The feeling of "museum hell" is palpable, but perhaps not in the way the filmmakers intended; it feels like we are walking through an exhibit we don't quite understand and aren't sure we want to finish.
Strengths and Weaknesses
What works well:
- Lead Chemistry: The pairing of Natalie Portman and Jenna Ortega is undeniably the film’s highlight, providing a spark that keeps the narrative alive even when the plot falters.
- Cinematographic Flourish: Federico Cesca’s use of Dutch angles is a bold, if slightly overused, choice that successfully creates a feeling of unease and instability.
- Daniel Brühl’s Performance: Brühl is the only cast member who seems to perfectly understand the satirical tone the film is aiming for, offering a performance that is both fun and menacing.
- Setting and Aesthetics: The film does an excellent job of capturing the specific, glossy look of Art Basel Miami and the sterile, high-end environment of a professional gallery.
What doesn't work:
- Uneven Tone: The film shifts between theatrical histrionics and emotionless delivery, making it impossible for the audience to settle into a consistent emotional or suspenseful state.
- Shallow Satire: The script’s attempts to critique the art world and social media culture feel superficial and never quite land a meaningful or original point.
- Wasted Supporting Cast: Incredible actors like Da'Vine Joy Randolph and Catherine Zeta-Jones are given very little to do or are directed in a way that feels disconnected from the rest of the film.
- Rough Direction: Cathy Yan’s handling of the material feels disjointed, resulting in a project where the different elements (acting, script, tone) are constantly at odds with one another.
Final Verdict: A High-Priced Frame with a Faded Image
Rating: 2.5/5 stars
In the end, The Gallerist is a film that promises a lot but delivers very little beyond its glossy surface. It is a movie that seems desperate to be seen as "important art," much like the characters it seeks to satirize, yet it lacks the depth and focus required to be truly memorable. While there is some fun to be had in watching Portman and Ortega bounce off each other, and Daniel Brühl is a delight in every scene he inhabits, these individual successes are not enough to salvage a project that feels fundamentally broken. Cathy Yan and James Pedersen have clearly set out to create a biting commentary on our current obsession with clout and profit, but their message gets lost in a sea of Dutch angles and histrionic shouting.
Who should watch it? If you are a die-hard fan of Natalie Portman or Jenna Ortega and want to see them chew the scenery together, you might find enough here to justify a watch. It may also appeal to those who have an interest in the art world and enjoy seeing its more "plastic" elements being put on display, even if the satire is a bit blunt. Who might not enjoy it? Anyone looking for a tight, logically sound psychological thriller will likely leave disappointed. Those who are frustrated by tonal inconsistency and underdeveloped subplots will find the 94-minute runtime to be a tedious exercise in "museum hell." Ultimately, The Gallerist is a piece of art that is pleasant enough to look at from a distance, but the closer you get, the more the flaws in the brushwork become impossible to ignore.
Recommendation: Give this one a pass unless you have a specific craving for Miami aesthetics and high-strung acting. It is a film that functions best as a showcase for its leads, but as a cohesive piece of storytelling, it simply doesn't hang together. You would be better off visiting an actual gallery than spending time in this one.
 Movie Review: Natalie Portman and Jenna Ortega Can’t Quite Save This Disjointed Portrait of Art-World Avarice){kind=link}
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