Ha-chan, Shake Your Booty! — Sundance Review
Source: Sundance
Winner of the Directing Award: US Dramatic at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival, Josef Kubota Wladyka’s Ha-chan, Shake Your Booty! is an effervescent crowdpleaser. It’s a thoughtful portrait of grief that’s simultaneously a heartwarming, whimsical delight. It’s a highly-stylized film, bursting with quirky characters, vibrant colors, and lively music.
Haru (Rinko Kikuchi) is a competitive ballroom dancer in Tokyo with her husband, Luis (Alejandro Edda). As the two hit the ballroom floor, she imagines the two of them floating toward the sky in a scene reminiscent of Damien Chazelle’s La La Land (2016). However, her fantasy rapidly comes crashing down when Luis collapses. Not only does Haru lose her husband, but she also loses her passion for dance. Thus, her friends must try to get her out of her grief-induced rut and back out onto the dance floor.
Rinko Kikuchi delivers an endearing, fully committed performance that elevates the film. Her charm is a large part of what makes Ha-chan, Shake Your Booty! so compelling to watch. At times, her character makes questionable choices that are sure to induce secondhand embarrassment, but Kikuchi’s charisma still makes us want to root for her despite her shortcomings and missteps.
The film strikes a tonal balance between being an exuberant, offbeat dance film and an empathetic portrait of navigating life after loss. Cinematographer Daniel Satinoff’s visual style helps blend the comedic and dramatic moments together seamlessly, incorporating elements of surrealism and fantasy as well. Satinoff uses visual language to reflect Haru’s mindset and inner turmoil. Nathan Halpern’s energetic score amplifies the spirited nature of the film, as do the frequently fun needle drops scattered throughout. Josef Kubota Wladyka also ensures that the choreographer, costume designer, and hair stylists and makeup artists all have their time to shine too. This film is brimming with spectacular dance numbers, dazzling outfits, and noteworthy looks.
The story is spread a bit thin and could have benefited from some trimming in the editing room, but the film’s zany energy will probably be enough to encourage most viewers to overlook its flaws. Like its heroine, the film stumbles and regains its footing, which is fitting because healing isn’t about perfection; it’s about finding the courage to keep moving. In the end, Ha-chan, Shake Your Booty! is a delightful, vivacious film that’s full of energy and spirit. While it may be cringe-inducing at times, it’s a joyful, uplifting story about dancing your way through grief, a celebration of resilience in all its messy glory.
Ha-chan, Shake Your Booty! premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 22, 2026, where it won the Directing Award: US Dramatic.
