Wild Tales (2014) – 8.5/10 – Fresh dark thriller about extreme human behavior
Overall
WILD TALES is a dark comedy drama that is structured as an anthology. Thus, it is not one story but six separate ones, each fresh and authentic. I’ve scrolled past this Argentinian movie multiple times on IMDb’s Top 250 of all time, but this time I checked it out. The tales with their twists are not random but often representative of humanity at its lowest. The line between civilization and barbarism is thin, and the only separation is self-control. In most stories, the victimized characters attempt to exact retribution on the perpetrator(s). There are variations in the reactions and emotions involved, including revenge, brutality, fury, frustration, justice, and betrayal. Emotions can cause people to overreact, often ten times worse, and escalate into frenzied lunacy with unintended consequences. The thematic idea focuses on how people act when stressed out to the extreme while facing trauma, rage, or other potent feelings. Dark humor mixed in makes you laugh at the absurdity of the escalating situations from a single spark. It is in Spanish, but you lose track of time, even while reading subtitles. The Oscars nominated this in 2015 for Best Foreign Film, but it didn’t win. I’m unsure if this should’ve won because I’m unfamiliar with the other nominees. To me, it’s brilliant. My rating is 8.5/10.
Plot (spoiler-free)
In the first story, called Pasternak, a male airplane passenger helps a female passenger stow away baggage. They begin a conversation and learn common information. Before you know it, everything goes to hell for everyone. In the second tale, Las Ratas (The Rats), a man stops at a diner to eat. The waitress recognizes him, and things go sideways. In the third, called El Mas fuerte (The Strongest), two men drive along a four-lane highway, two lanes in each direction. One is a jerk driving an older car and refuses to allow the other person to pass in his expensive Audi. An opening allows the second driver to bypass, and he angrily curses at the jerk. Events explode soon after. The fourth narrative, called Bombita (Little Bomb), follows an explosives expert whose vehicle gets towed after he parks to pick up a birthday cake for his daughter. He goes to the towing company’s lot to argue that there was no sign saying it was a no-parking zone. They refuse to listen, and the events escalate. In the fifth, called La propuesta (The Proposal), a teenager hits a pregnant woman and speeds away in his rich dad’s car. He tells his father about the hit-and-run, and the father concocts a conspiratorial plan. Things soon unravel. In the sixth, called Hasta Que La Muerte Nos Separe (Until Death do us Part), a wedding reception is going on. The bride learns something from the groom, and the reception spirals into madness.
Technicals
WILD TALES is as the namesake says—WILD. Magnificent acting, direction, cinematography, editing, background music, intelligent writing, pacing, and unpredictable freshness compel you to keep watching. The performances are sensational by the different cast teams in each anthology depicted. I can’t praise the writing, plot, and presentation of each narrative enough. Hats off to the storytelling by the director, Damian Szifron, for an amazing job. It’s not easy to maintain consistency, but to do it across SIX different narratives! The director and writers capture extreme human behavior accurately during moments of crisis and rage. Rationality goes out the window in such stressful emotions. This movie is from Argentina, but it represents human behavior everywhere to a degree or another. I daresay what makes it funny is how relatable it is. In the most basic terms, comedy expresses pain. And it’s only funny when it happens to someone else. The background music is fitting, along with the opening credits (I didn’t recognize it until after watching). The cinematography and pacing never let up except between each story, thanks to tight editing. Flaws? Two stories feel predictable, and not every story resonates with me. The exaggerations may be excessive to some. I didn’t always get the comedic aspects.
Would I recommend this?
Yes, especially if you don’t mind the anthology style and subtitles. Subtitles aren’t an issue for this Spanish movie because everything else is done so well. The brutality and violence of the scenes prevent WILD TALES from being family-friendly. The comedy is so dark that you often don’t know whether to laugh or cringe. You might be unable to stifle a laugh during a manic scene filled with pain. It’s not a movie where you sit there crying from bellyache laughs. Sometimes, I missed the humor for the drama, and other times I didn’t get the jokes, but I have a dry sense of humor. I think the scriptwriters and director have a wicked sense of humor, but it’s thoroughly entertaining and intense beyond measure. With that said, I recommend this movie.
*Obtained trivia facts from IMDb’s trivia page and plot/basic history/names information from Wiki
