The universal impulse to seek vengeance for perceived wrongs is the driving force behind this anthology movie from director Damian Szifron and producer Pedro Almodovar.
Tonally, the six mini-features pitch between ultra-violence and high-farce. In one, passengers on a commercial flight discover they all share a common enemy. Elsewhere, a wife discovers her husband’s infidelity at a wedding reception and a wealthy businessman ponders how much he needs to pay someone to take the blame for a hit-and-run.
Wild Tales is often over the top and occasionally hysterical. However, the compulsions it explores are perfectly everyday and audiences will find much with which to empathise.
Szifron isn’t interested in freakishly reprehensible weirdos. Rather, he’s fascinated by the tipping point of the average individual and what it takes to drive us over the edge. Consequently, the movie makes for occasionally uneasy viewing. Is this how we might behave if we weren’t afraid of the consequences?