Fancy Dance

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2:07

Fancy Dance

R

Released Jun 21, 2024

1h 32m

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

96%

Tomatometer

122 Reviews

78%

Popcornmeter

100+ Ratings

Since her sister's disappearance, Jax (Lily Gladstone) has cared for her niece Roki (Isabel Deroy-Olson) by scraping by on the Seneca-Cayuga reservation in Oklahoma. Every spare minute goes into finding her missing sister while also helping Roki prepare for an upcoming powwow. At the risk of Jax losing custody to Roki's grandfather, Frank (Shea Whigham), the pair hit the road and scour the backcountry to track down Roki's mother in time for the powwow. What begins as a search gradually turns into a far deeper investigation into the complexities and contradictions of Indigenous women moving through a colonized world while at the mercy of a failed justice system.

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Critics Consensus

An urgent drama grounded in its observant depiction of reservation life, Fancy Dance establishes director/co-writer Erica Tremblay as a rising filmmaking talent.

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Roxana Hadadi

New York Magazine/Vulture

Fancy Dance becomes part coming-of-age story, part road movie, and part revenge thriller with Tremblay effectively guiding Gladstone and Deroy-Olson through the tropes of each subgenre.

Sep 17, 2024

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Ty Burr

Ty Burr's Watch List (Substack)

Fancy Dance toggles between a thriller, a murder mystery, a road movie, and a social drama, and if the shifts aren't always smooth, the fine performances and an undercurrent of fury toward the injustices faced by Indigenous women hold it together.

Rated: 3/4

Jul 25, 2024

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Christy Lemire

FilmWeek (LAist)

It's maybe a little too subtle, but the performances and sense of place are so strong.

Jul 13, 2024

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Louisa Moore

Screen Zealots

A female-centered story of survival, love, and cultural perseverance.

Nov 5, 2024

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Ally Ham

The Review Geek

While some narrative strands don’t tie together perfectly... the emotional beats are there, and they hold a huge payoff.

Oct 8, 2024

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Alex Heeney

Seventh Row

One of the best films at Sundance 2023...Tremblay develops the [central] pair’s background and deep relationship, the importance of family, the land, and Indigenous dance, as well as the challenges of navigating life under settler colonialism.

Oct 5, 2024

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Larry W

Very powerful story. Lily Gladstone is an amazing actress.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

07/18/24

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Logan D

Realizing her sister may not return, Jax (Lily Gladstone) defies the law in order to care for the needs of her niece, Roki (Isabel Deroy-Olson). Wow! This is the first film I've seen with Gladstone and she is just a stunning actress. I'm loving that so many strong roles are being given to NA actors and plots tied to their heritage. The relationship between Jax and Roki isn't one way but two. Jax needs Roki for stablity and Roki needs Jax to maintain her heritage. Most importantly is the love these two have for each other. Highly recommended Oh! The irony of ICE agents asking Iroquois of their right to be here!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

05/30/25

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Kyle M

Between Erica Tremblay’s directorial insights and Lily Gladstone’s emotionally rooted performative devotion, this glimpsing, stirring drama complicates via circumstantial familiarity signified with culturally meaningful deft. (B)

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/12/25

Full Review

Yash B

"Fancy Dance" is a good drama film that raises awareness of a real-life problem while also telling a compelling story. Lily Gladstone is great in this film and continues to prove herself as one of the best dramatic actresses working right now. I think the movie comes together in a meaningful way in the final act and also builds tension and suspense in a way that kept me engaged. I do feel the movie does end a bit abruptly and I actually think it could have gone on for even longer and reached a more proper conclusion. Nonetheless, this is a well-made movie that is told in an impressive way and made me care about the characters and their fates very quickly, and I would suggest it to anyone who has access to Apple TV+ at this time.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

12/16/24

Full Review

Torin F

FANCY DANCE masterfully invokes aspects of various genres---the coming-of-age story, the road movie, the murder mystery---to create an immersive, empathetic and grounded tour of reservation life. The title is so incongruous as to appear almost trite, yet the film manages to be very real about the continued impacts of colonization without slipping into despair, resulting in an understated and powerful journey.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

11/09/24

Full Review

Faraz L

So good! A must watch

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/24/24

Full Review

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Erica Tremblay

Director

Lily Gladstone

Jax

Isabel Deroy-Olson

Roki

Ryan Begay

JJ

Shea Whigham

Frank

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Fancy Dance: Trailer

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Synopsis

Since her sister's disappearance, Jax (Lily Gladstone) has cared for her niece Roki (Isabel Deroy-Olson) by scraping by on the Seneca-Cayuga reservation in Oklahoma. Every spare minute goes into finding her missing sister while also helping Roki prepare for an upcoming powwow. At the risk of Jax losing custody to Roki's grandfather, Frank (Shea Whigham), the pair hit the road and scour the backcountry to track down Roki's mother in time for the powwow. What begins as a search gradually turns into a far deeper investigation into the complexities and contradictions of Indigenous women moving through a colonized world while at the mercy of a failed justice system.

Director: Erica Tremblay
Producer: Deidre Backs, Erica Tremblay, Heather Rae, Nina Yang Bongiovi, Tommy Oliver
Screenwriter: Erica Tremblay, Miciana Alise
Distributor: Apple Original Films
Production Co: Creative Producing Lab, Significant Productions, Directors' Lab, AUM Group, Indigenous Intensive, Confluential Films, Apple TV+, The Sundance Screenwriters' Lab
Rating: R (Some Drug Content|Sexual Material|Language)
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jun 21, 2024, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 28, 2024
Runtime: 1h 32m
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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