Nearly two months ago, my boyfriend and I dove headfirst into the world of puppy breeding while searching for a new companion following the loss of my 16-year-old yorkie, Lexi. After extensive research and more conversations about breeding standards than I ever imagined having, we ultimately found our perfect apricot toy poodle, Mila. In the process, I learned far more about ethical breeding practices, bloodlines, and breed preservation than I ever expected.
For that reason, Alex Goyette’s Breeder immediately became one of my most anticipated entries of the festival. Despite choosing a breeder with overwhelmingly positive reviews, our experience was far from perfect. Mila is wonderful, but the breeder herself was difficult to communicate with and eccentric enough to make the process far more stressful than expected. Naturally, I assumed there couldn’t possibly be a poodle breeder stranger than ours. Then Patti (Dot-Marie Jones) entered the picture.
On paper, Patti is the ideal industry expert. With multiple Westminster and AKC poodle wins to her name, she presents herself as the pinnacle of professionalism. Her home is a shrine to the breed. Poodle-patterned wallpaper covers the walls, poodles decorate the front gate, and paintings and artwork celebrating the dogs fill nearly every available space. She kisses her dogs, baby talks to them, and appears utterly devoted to their well-being. The illusion cracks the moment she proudly displays her taxidermied champion black miniature poodle. This genuinely chilling image is the first sign that something is deeply wrong.
Rather than focusing solely on breeding dogs, Patti has set her sights on something she believes will have a greater impact on society: breeding humans. She approaches her human breeding program with the same tactics she applies to her dogs. Prospective mates are placed on carefully curated diets, monitored for optimal results, and subjected to endless infantilizing baby talk.
What makes Breeder particularly clever is how thoughtfully it adapts real breeding terminology to its human eugenics framework. Concepts familiar within the dog breeding world are repurposed in unsettling ways. Patti condemns “backyard breeders,” those who breed irresponsibly for profit rather than to improve the breed, yet fails to recognize that she embodies the very definition herself. Though she frames her efforts as advancing the quality of the human race, her babies exist solely as commodities. The stud and bitch, or father and mother, are treated as breeding stock rather than people, forced to endure abusive conditions in service of her business.
Admittedly, I was hoping for more actual puppies before pivoting fully into the darker human-breeding narrative. Still, I enjoyed the ride. Recently acquired by IFC Films and Shudder with a theatrical release promised later this year during the introduction, Breeder feels like a natural fit for the distributor. Positioned somewhere between thriller, dark comedy, and horror, it lands squarely within my wheelhouse.
Jones proves to be inspired casting. Her performance is deliciously unhinged, balancing genuine menace with absurd humor. She’s clearly having the time of her life, and her commitment elevates every scene.
The predominantly female cast, aside from one major male character, strengthens the allegorical intent. What Patti is ultimately orchestrating amounts to sex trafficking, and the inclusion of manipulated orphans who eventually became complicit in her crimes adds a disturbing layer of realism. It is also notable a man is placed at the center of its sexual victimization narrative, as male victims are often taken less seriously.
Breeder often draws similarities to The Handmaid’s Tale, particularly in its regimented mating rituals designed solely to produce children of a specific caliber. Unlike the show’s obsession with fertility and appearance, here, intellect is prioritized above all else. Because Patti’s adopted daughters are portrayed as near-geniuses, the premise occasionally stretches credibility. Intelligence is influenced by both nature and nurture, making it difficult to believe that so many exceptionally gifted children could be consistently sourced from the foster system. There is also an interesting reversal of societal norms as men are treated as more expendable than women, a dynamic rarely explored in this manner.
Although the team spent seven years bringing the project to its final form, some narrative threads still feel underdeveloped. Patti’s mommy issues are introduced, but never fully examined beyond references to her own absent mother. Given she spends her time creating artificial families, collecting daughters, and selling babies, there seems to be fertile psychological territory left unexplored. The connection between her childhood experiences and obsession with control remains frustratingly vague.
Atmosphere is effective throughout. The dark cinematography immediately establishes unease, contrasting sharply with the clean, sterile, and brightly lit environments typically associated with reputable dog breeding operations. Combined with a creepy score and genuinely funny moments, Breeder succeeds in making a remarkably edgy premise entertaining.
Its biggest weakness is the amount of suspension of disbelief required. Russell (Daniel Doheny) is far too trusting, law enforcement barely investigates missing persons, and multiple characters repeatedly ignore glaring warning signs. A long-term fiancée is remarkably quick to believe a complete stranger over her own instincts, while the timing of several deceptions aligns a little too perfectly. The puzzle pieces fit together with such precision that the plot occasionally feels engineered rather than organic.
The logistical questions are even harder to ignore. Where are the social workers checking in on Patti’s adopted daughters, especially Manon (Isla Spencer), who is clearly a minor? Why does no one question the circumstances under and qualifications required which she continually acquires these girls? How has she concealed so many missing men, particularly those with families and loved ones actively looking for them? Russell is clearly not the first person to agree to these arrangements, yet the broader system surrounding Patti’s operation remains surprisingly absent.
Those unanswered questions prevent Breeder from fully realizing its potential, but the entry remains an entertaining, darkly funny, and unsettling examination of obsession, control, and the commodification of human life. Anchored by Jones’s wonderfully deranged performance, it leaves a lasting impression despite its uneven edges.
Get acquainted with Patti’s kennel of horrors when Breeder premieres at the 2026 Tribeca Film Festival on Saturday, June 6.
