This Ambitious Sundance Film Highlights the Power of Ritual and Dance in the Festival's Sleeper Hit

One of the many powers of cinema, particularly of the international variety, is its ability to transport audiences. Esteemed AMC high priestess Nicole Kidman champions "that indescribable feeling we get when the lights begin to dim, and we go somewhere we've never been," leaving us "reborn." Movies give us windows into real-world cultures (both current and historical) like Satyajit Ray's Apu Trilogy, John Woo's Red Cliff, or historical South America in The Motorcycle Diaries. They can equally send us into imagined worlds like Oz (The Wizard of Oz), Middle-earth (The Lord of the Rings trilogy), a galaxy far, far away (Star Wars), or the sandy world of Arrakis (Dune). In Levitating (Para Perasuk), a hopeful spirit channeler works to halt an eviction through perfecting his ability to facilitate trance parties, and with them keep a company from buying and overtaking his village. It's a beautiful exhibition of a unique culture that finds novel ways to bring audiences into the subjectivity of these ecstatic characters, for a journey that shouldn't be missed.

What Is 'Levitating' About?

Bayu (Angga Yunanda) really wants to become the animal spirit channeler for the trance parties in the Indonesian village of Latas. In the ritual, the channeler and their instrument create a rhythmic trance that essentially sets the stage for a spirit to possess revelers. Bayu joins with the traumatized young woman Laksmi (Maudy Ayunda) to train for a competition intended to determine the top channeller, also in hopes of securing enough money to prevent his father (Indra Birowo) from selling their home to a developer and moving back to Jakarta. Bayu has to overcome his rage towards his father and learn to control these possessing spirits in a film that continually surprises.

'Levitating' is a Stunning Display of the Magic of Ritual

Image via Sundance

On paper, Levitating would be a simple but good enough story of a young man striving to achieve a goal coming from a hard place. A few factors elevate it far beyond that well-trod tale, however. Director Wregas Bhanuteja finds a variety of ways to turn Levitating into a stellar cinematic vision. Viewers are almost immediately signaled that something different is in the cards with an electric initial trance ritual. While the ecstatic dancing is routinely well-choreographed and gorgeously shot, the opening dance sequence brings us into the subjective psyches of the dancers in a surreal scene that sees them levitate, conditions changing as Bayu struggles to control the spirit invocation. It's an inspired showcase of technique that Bhanuteja returns to, always feeling fresh and different. The film also constantly achieves fresh trance events as Bayu and competitors invoke different spirits, embodying their energies in wildly different ways. It's electric.

Angga Yunanda gives a strong performance as the young, dedicated yet pained Bayu. In the role, he's vibrant and charismatic, along with a committed physical performance. Bayu pulls in and embodies diverse spirits, and Yunanda is stellar in that ever-shifting performative landscape, culminating in a long sequence inspired by the leech that's genuinely unique. Maudy Ayunda is extraordinary as a passionate receiver of those spirits, showcasing a strong physicality in her dancing alongside a wide emotional range. It's a moving performance that's rich and memorable. The cast is strong as a whole, and the physicality of the village's troupe of dancers elevates every big-group trance sequence.

Related

Certain elements of Levitating could use some honing. When one of Bayu's attempts to capture a more powerful spirit goes awry, it delivers some complex and impactful moments. At the same time, Bayu's choices here—particularly their extreme nature—aren't adequately grounded in his character. The sequence in question is pivotal, but it's also too long and disruptive in narrative flow. Other moments could benefit from greater development. Laksmi's journey is a pivotal one, but the film could use more focus on her after major, character-changing truths are revealed. A few missed opportunities and small quibbles aside, Levitating is a magical celebration of ritual.

Talented Direction Keeps 'Levitating' Electric, Fresh, and Surprising

Image via Sundance

While there are small elements in Levitating's narrative that could be tweaked, one thing is for certain: Wregas Bhanuteja is a global talent. The film is vibrant, complex, and gorgeously shot and choreographed. It's an immersive look into a unique culture that cleverly finds routes into its spirit addicts' subjective experiences, and equally captures the odd, sometimes unnerving ecstasy of these trances. Angga Yunanda delivers a strong performance as the young, determined channeler Bayu, and Maudy Ayunda brilliant in both dance and her performance as the complex Laksmi. Bayu and Laksmi's characters could use some additional context in key scenes as the film moves towards its finale, but the performances are bold and locked in, particularly in the intense moments of trance. Levitating is an unmissable film, that rare example of a project that feels truly fresh and original.

Levitating premiered at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival.

Release Date January 24, 2026

Runtime 119 minutes

Director Wregas Bhanuteja

Writers Alicia Angelina, Defi Mahendra, Wregas Bhanuteja

Producers Siera Tamihardja, Amalia Fitriani, Iman Usman

Cast

• 
• 

Pros & Cons

• Wregas Bhanuteja adeptly finds beautiful, sometimes unsettling magic in dancers' movements and the power of their trance, for an unforgettable experience.
• Angga Yunanda and Maudy Ayunda ground their respective characters with complexity and relatability, and each gives a full-tilt bodily commitment in difficult respective scenes.
• The dance choreography is memorable, occasionally unsettling, and often beautiful, creating a mesmerizing context that easily transports the viewer.

• Certain important narrative elements could use better grounding and development, particularly for lead characters Bayu and Laksmi.