Tangles, Sarah’s Animated Memoir of Returning to Her Alzheimer’s-Stricken Mother

Tangles is an adult animated drama about Sarah, who leaves her life in 1990s San Francisco to return home as Alzheimer’s changes her mother’s personality. Leah Nelson adapted the film from Sarah Leavi

A Daughter Facing the Changes in Memory

Sarah in *Tangles* lives as an artist and activist in 1990s San Francisco, but when Alzheimer’s begins to erase her mother’s vibrant personality, she returns to her conservative hometown. Believing she can handle the situation, Sarah confronts the illness’s harsh and bewildering reality and learns how to become the daughter her family needs.

A Memoir in Hand-Drawn Animation

The film is based on cartoonist Sarah Leavitt’s graphic memoir *Tangles: A Story About Alzheimer’s, My Mother and Me*. Directed by Leah Nelson, who also contributed to the co-written screenplay, the 102-minute feature explores the loss of memory and changes in family relationships through primarily black-and-white hand-drawn animation. While taking a serious illness as its subject, the film’s approach also captures the humor and affection that remain within a family.

Completing the Family Bond Through Voice

Abbi Jacobson provides Sarah’s voice, while Julia Louis-Dreyfus plays her mother, Midge. An ensemble voice cast including Bryan Cranston, Beanie Feldstein, Seth Rogen, and Samira Wiley fills out the family and surrounding characters. The U.S. theatrical release date is listed as January 22, 2027, following its debut in a special screening at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival.