Director Cathy Yan’s The Gallerist premiered at Sundance 2026, offering a sharp yet uneven satire of the contemporary art world. Starring Natalie Portman as Polina Polinski, a desperate Miami art dealer, the film explores ambition, deception, and the absurdity of commodified art.
The Fatal Accident That Sparks Chaos
The story begins with Dalton Hardberry (Zach Galifianakis), a smug art influencer, visiting Polina’s gallery ahead of Art Basel. His cruel dismissal of Polina’s taste is cut short when he slips on water from a broken AC unit and fatally impales himself on a massive sculpture. Rather than reporting the accident, Polina and her assistant Kiki (Jenna Ortega) spin the tragedy into a publicity stunt, transforming the corpse into a “provocative” centerpiece.
Portman’s Intense Performance
Portman plays Polina with the same intensity she brought to Black Swan, embodying a woman unraveling under pressure. Her desperation to prove herself in the art world drives the film’s tension, while her eccentric choices—like insisting the body is PVC—highlight the absurdity of her situation.
Supporting Cast Adds Layers
Kiki’s panic contrasts with Polina’s improvisation, while Catherine Zeta-Jones shines as Marianne, Kiki’s aunt fresh out of prison, who sees the accident as a lucrative opportunity. Da’Vine Joy Randolph plays Stella Burgess, the artist behind the sculpture, who reluctantly agrees not to disown the work. Together, the ensemble underscores the film’s theme: in the art world, perception is everything.
Art-World In-Jokes and Plot Holes
Yan and co-writer James Pedersen fill the film with references to art-world scandals, including Maurizio Cattelan’s infamous banana piece Comedian. Yet the satire often stumbles over implausible plot points, such as the idea that no one would notice the disappearance of a social media star with millions of followers. The film critiques the superficiality of Miami’s art scene but sometimes sacrifices coherence for spectacle.
A Commentary on Value and Authenticity
By turning a corpse into a commodity, The Gallerist raises uncomfortable questions about what makes art valuable. Is it the object itself, or the narrative spun around it? As Kiki initiates an auction, bidders seem more interested in the scandal than the piece, reflecting how hype often overshadows meaning in contemporary art.
Final Verdict
The Gallerist is intermittently clever, bolstered by Portman’s committed performance and Zeta-Jones’ cool charisma. However, its satire is undermined by glaring plot holes and uneven supporting roles. Still, the film succeeds in skewering the art world’s obsession with spectacle, leaving audiences to ponder whether art is about truth—or simply about what sells.
