Tribeca 2026 Review: BREEDER Wants to Make You Really Uncomfortable, and It Probably Will Succeed

In Tim Travers Hawkins’s documentary American Zoo (which is also currently playing at Tribeca 2026), one of the participants talks openly about the reality of scientific research being advanced by funding and of academics being willing to pretty much make a deal with the devil to acquire the said funding.

Russell (Daniel Doheny), the protagonist of Alex Goyette’s feature debut, Breeder, might have to do just that in hopes of getting his long-time research project involving bees going.

He doesn’t believe it’ll come to this, though. After all, he is just going to have dinner with a potential investor, Patti (Dot-Marie Jones), at her remote farm. As Russell informs his naturally suspicious fiancée (Tanaya Beatty), Patti seems like a harmless enough lady, a fanny pack-wearing poodle breeder.

Of course, any horror movie lover knows that it is never a good idea to go to an unfamiliar, remote location; it’s where really bad things always await. The curious thing is that Russell seems to know this, too, but is eager to forgo his intuition because the reality doesn’t give him many options: it’s either going along with the creepy poodle lady or giving up on his work.

From the beginning and throughout most of the runtime, up until the end, Breeder throws in some interesting variations into an otherwise known formula. Unlike many films with a similar premise, this one focuses on a man instead of a woman, and up until a certain moment, the protagonist actually has an option to make choices, since his potential affliction is presented as a deal rather than an outright coercion it actually is. Having both Patti and Russell be equally passionate about what they are doing and willing to go the distance for it creates interesting layers within the narrative, as does giving the idea of “selling out” a very tangible, quite physical shape that is bound to make the audience uncomfortable.

Like many great contemporary genre films (see also: Obsession), Goyette’s debut dishes out the feeling of discomfort a lot, just as it does moments of dark, macabre humor. Then, there is the real secret weapon of Goyette’s movie, elevating it to a whole new level — Dot-Marie Jones as Patti, with her extraordinary presence that somehow balances unique comedic timing and imposing, grandiose menace. For all the obvious parallels, Jones’ Patti isn’t Annie Wilkes; she and her fanny pack are a different kind of everyday evil.

With all that said, Breeder isn’t a perfect ride all the way. For a film that deals with reproductive violence, it often displays an unfortunate tone deafness when it comes to its female characters’ perspectives. And then, there is the ending, which is destined to be polarizing, which is not necessarily a bad thing (especially in horror). In its last minutes, the film sacrifices true catharsis for the sake of making a point, thus falling in line with the recent trend of authors often choosing conceptual ideas over emotional impact.

There will definitely be viewers who’d appreciate such an ending, but it will most probably ring untrue to anyone who’s had to experience systematic violence in their life. Controversial parts don’t automatically diminish the film’s other evident qualities, and Breeder is still a pleasantly entertaining number that showcases its authors’ talents and ambitions. Still, Paul Sheldon would probably disapprove.

The film enjoys its world premiere at the 2026 Tribeca Festival. It screens again on Saturday, June 13. Visit the film's page at the official festival site for more information.