Image via Sundance
Published Feb 3, 2026, 11:54 AM EST
Taylor Gates is an Indiana native who earned her BFA in Creative Writing from the University of Evansville. She fell in love with entertainment by watching shows about chaotic families like Full House, The Nanny, Gilmore Girls, and The Fosters.
After college, she moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career as a writer, editor, and filmmaker. Today, she’s a sucker for dramedies — especially coming-of-age stories centering around complex female and LGBTQ+ characters. She has been with Collider since May 2022.
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Between Sinners and KPop Demon Hunters, 2025 brought us several cultural phenomena highlighting the power of music, showing it has the ability to change — and even save — your life. Josef Kubota Wladyka’s new film continues in that tradition, though with a slightly different focus, showcasing how important it is to get up and dance when said music moves you. There are a variety of health benefits to dancing that go beyond just the physical, as research shows it can have a positive effect on your mental health and mood, too. But is it possible to mambo your way through mourning? To groove while grieving? To salsa your way out of sadness? Ha-chan, Shake your Booty! explores those questions in a highly entertaining, endlessly stylish way.
What Is ‘Ha-chan, Shake Your Booty!’ About?
Image via SundanceHa-chan, Shake your Booty! introduces us to Haru (Rinko Kikuchi) and Luis (Alejandro Edda), a married couple who love to dance together, whether it’s in their living room to one of their many records or in a ballroom competition. They even spend meals watching their performances on a laptop at the kitchen table. It’s clear this shared passion is the centerpiece of their relationship — a language in which they can effortlessly communicate.
It makes sense, then, that when Luis tragically dies in the middle of one of their contests, Haru gives it up — along with just about everything else in her life. Consumed by grief, she hides herself away in her house. Her only solace? The fact that Luis still visits her some nights dressed as a black crow, an important symbol in Japanese folklore that has implications for both death and divine guidance.
Eventually, after Haru misses her own birthday party, her friends Yuki (Yoh Yoshida) and Hiro (YOU) decide enough is enough, breaking into her house and forcing her to start dancing again. Haru reluctantly complies, unexpectedly and immediately drawn to her new instructor, Fedir (Alberto Guerra). She begins to find some healing, as well as a whole lot of complications, especially when some internet stalking reveals Fedir is in an open marriage. The good news is they can act on and explore their connection without shame. The bad news? Haru might be in over her head, and jumping into a new relationship might prove too much too soon.
Ha-chan, Shake Your Booty! was always on my list of films to watch at Sundance, but I must admit, when I saw Diego Andaluz’s Letterboxd review comparing it to Eternity, I instantly moved it to the top. I maintain that Eternity was one of the greatest films of last year — a smart, thoughtful romantic comedy with real heart and emotion that felt both nostalgic and fresh. Ha-chan, Shake Your Booty! did, indeed, deliver all of that as well, and though it has a unique voice and visual language, it’s characterized by the same rich, vibrant color palette we desperately need more of in the age of millennial grey and dark lighting.
The funky yet cozy production design, particularly in Haru’s home, combined with Daniel Satinoff’s cinematography, makes this the kind of movie you wish you could jump through the screen and live in. It also serves to make the more surreal elements feel naturally integrated. That the film is split up into fun, distinct chapters, read in Japanese as well as English, is a neat, celebratory cultural nod. The specific cultural element is woven throughout the film, and it’s especially interesting when it clashes with Luis’ Mexican heritage when his sister and father disagree with Haru on how and where he should be buried. There are thematic hints of another great recent rom-com there with The Big Sick — further evidence it fits into this new wave of excellent romantic comedies.
And then there are the dance numbers. Whether it’s a delightful, grounded production of Dirty Dancing, a fantastical, imagined flash mob on the street as Haru is falling in love, or the grand, bittersweet finale bursting with hope, each of the sequences is overflowing with energy and joy. They’re big swings that not every movie would be able to successfully sell, but Kubota Wladyka gets you to buy in from the beginning, making them a home run.
‘Ha-chan, Shake Your Booty!’ Features Solid Writing and Irresistible Performances
Image via SundanceThe film hinges on Kikuchi’s performance, and rest assured, she is phenomenal. The movie requires her to toggle between an array of intense emotions throughout its runtime, from devastated to numb, smitten to furious, and she navigates them effortlessly, showing off her impressive range. She’s also not afraid to make Haru delightfully flawed, letting selfishness and anger get the best of her at times, which only serves to make her more authentic and sympathetic. Edda and Guerra both play off of her (and, in one particularly wild scene, each other) wonderfully, cleverly turning the love triangle trope on its head. At one point, Haru tells a lie that harkens back to classic rom-com conventions, and while I do think that plotline’s conclusion ends up feeling a bit sudden and underwhelming, as well as believe there could have been a bit more done with it to amp up the inherent humor even more, it worked for me.
One aspect not wanting for comedy is the dynamic between Haru and her friends, with every scene between the trio gold. That the theme of female friendship emerges was a welcome surprise, and the three of them have a natural chemistry that’s heartwarming to watch. The focus on the dynamic highlights the importance of platonic love in addition to romantic, showcasing that it can be just as — if not even more — crucial and deep.
Ha-chan, Shake Your Booty! will likely gain criticism for its simplicity and earnestness, but I would argue those are the very things that make it so special and effective. It’s also an enormous triumph on a craft level, with stunning direction buoyed by equally gorgeous production design and cinematography. Throw in moving performances and beautiful choreography, and there’s no doubt you’ll be moved to get up and shake your booty, too.
Ha-chan, Shake Your Booty! debuted at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival.
Release Date January 22, 2026
Runtime 122 minutes
Director Josef Kubota Wladyka
Writers Nicholas Huynh, Josef Kubota Wladyka
Cast
Pros & Cons
- Stunning direction is elevated by beautiful cinematography and production design.
- Rinko Kikuchi gives an excellent performance that showcases her range.
- The film features several winning musical numbers, highlighting its theme of the power of dance.
- The plotline concerning Haru?s lie has a slightly underwhelming conclusion.
English (US) ·