How complicated black comedy often is, a style that can be so corrosive that it can be completely frightening for having nothing more than provocation. How nice when a black comedy is able to explore limits without being dandy, showing humanity in all its shame and with its civilized mask fallen. It is difficult to achieve that, let’s not talk about doing it six times.
Stories not to survive
It is undoubtedly a challenge that Damián Szifrón skilfully avoided when he made one of the best films to come out of Argentina in the last decade. We speak clearly of ‘Wild Tales’, an essential gem available on platforms such as Amazon Prime Video or HBO Max, as well as other free streaming services such as RTVE Play. Many avenues to enjoy a scathing and brilliant film.
Six different stories or stories compiled in the anthology format where we see several of the greatest actors in the country such as Ricardo Darín, Darío Grandinetti or Leonardo Sbaraglia. All these segments are articulated by tone and by narrative intent. From the intrigue, the black comedy and the unleashed violence, it is making incredible escalations of situations towards the point where the fine line between civilization and barbarism is trodden down.
Szifrón is not shy about using surreal elements to accentuate human behaviors already devoid of logical sense and decency. Not for this reason he ceases to be authentic, creating really violent moments that are crazy but not impossible. Well-generated outbursts, although they do not resort to conventional or very iron gears to take the situation to where they want.
The magical quality of ‘Wild Tales’ is the freshness you notice in each story, feeling as if it had originated and developed at once, like a stream of thought driven by a great sense of nihilism. An enjoyment from evil that makes all its proposals work, all the episodes are satisfactory and drives a true stake into our human essence.
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