It's hard to define the genre to which Wild Tales (Relatos salvajes) belongs, but it's probably something along the lines of dark satire. Writer/director Dami n Szifron gathers an ensemble cast of A-listers and allots them an episode each, totaling six in all. While there's no narrative connection between each episode, they share an overarching theme: control, or lack thereof.
The stories see their protagonists attempting to maintain their cool in dire situations based on present day Argentine urban folklore, like carrying through a vendetta, dealing with government employees or trying to cover up a crime. The script seems them all the way through up to the final consequences of their actions, which may result in comedy or tragedy, but are always underlined by a good measure of black humor.
Pasternak , set almost exclusively aboard an airplane, is the shortest story in the movie, wrapping up before the title credits even roll. It's also peculiar in that it's the only story that doesn't follow a character's struggle for control, but rather those that suffer because of it (amongst whom we find a pedantic critic played by Dar o Grandinetti). While it does efficiently set the running theme of the movie, it's too lighthearted and feels less like a story and more like a gag, playing in sharp contrast with the more socially poignant stories.
The Rats follows the themes of amazing coincidences and struggle for self-control, this time inside a dead-end diner on one of those dark and stormy nights, where a waitress (Julieta Zylberberg) recognizes her childhood nemesis waiting to order. The waitress confides on her cook friend (Rita Cortese), who goads her into taking retribution and poisoning the man's food. While there's some humor to be found in their characters' interactions - particularly Cortese as the politically blunt half of the duo - this is one of the darker stories in the movie.
Road to Hell follows one Diego (Leonardo Sbaraglia) as he speeds across the Salta desert and becomes engaged in an unnerving case of road rage with a stranger. He gets a flat tire at the worst possible moment, stranding him in the middle of nowhere and dooming him to a violent confrontation with the offended driver in any second. The situation quickly escalates into an action-packed battle, underlined by some gallows humor at the end.
Bombita is arguably the most fun (and upbeat) story in the movie. It follows an engineer (Ricardo Dar n) in downtown Buenos Aires whose car gets repeatedly towed away for all the wrong reasons, and his ensuing clashes with the bureaucracy behind it. Meanwhile, his maddened crusade for dignity costs him his reputation, his job and his family. The story combines the comedic staples of torturing a character with Murphy's Law and derailing him in ways the audience finds cathartic.
The Deal moves the action to the fancy part of Buenos Aires, where a rich couple (played by Oscar Mart nez and Mar a Onetto) desperately tries to cover up their teenage son's fatal hit and run, and in doing so form a conspiracy that keeps adding more and more people to the payroll. This is the more suspenseful and tightly written of the stories, and follows the preceding short in its social critique.
Till Death Do Us Part takes place at a Jewish wedding party in which the bride (played by rica Rivas) finds out the groom has been having an affair with one of their guests. Mayhem ensues as the bride decides to have her revenge as swiftly and clumsily as possible, bringing the party down several circles of scandal and embarrassment. It's probably the most loosely written episode in the movie, and goes on for just a little too long.
Wild Tales essentially introduces slice of life that is instantly recognizable to the viewer and offers the escapist pleasure of developing what if scenarios to their full extent. The anthological format introduces underdeveloped characters whom we identify with simply because they're on the brink of action, yet take pleasure in the sadistic turns of the plot, which never offers an easy way out of any situation.
And while these are all excellently written and acted, there's a nagging inconsistency when it comes to tone. The absurdity of the initial story never quite pays off, and some episodes aren't quite as tightly written or fleshed out as others. But stepping back, the big picture is that of a rather unique piece of filmmaking that manages to be engaging, entertaining and relevant on more than a few counts.
--
-- --
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
02/05/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
01/05/2026
January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...
01/04/2026
January 4 2026, 18:00 (PST) DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION
Douyin Users Can Now Create And Share Videos With Stun...
26/03/2026
Extron and Audio-Technica have announced that their Design Solutions devices, Ce...
26/03/2026
SPORTEL Asia took place March 24-25 at the Orchard Hotel Singapore, drawing 370 participants representing more than 220 companies from 35 countries. Approximate...
26/03/2026
LTN will demonstrate satellite-to-IP migration solutions for broadcasters, cable networks, MVPDs, and station groups at NAB Show 2026 (Booth W2100).
The C-Ban...
26/03/2026
The Seattle Mariners have partnered with Daktronics to install an upgraded outfi...
26/03/2026
The Esports Foundation (EF) has awarded National Team Partner status to organizations and individuals across more than 100 countries and territories for the Esp...
26/03/2026
Telestream has announced expanded integration between its Vantage workflow platf...
26/03/2026
FOR-A Corporation has announced a partnership with Nippon TV and NVIDIA to distr...
26/03/2026
CBS Sports and the WNBA have expanded their partnership through a new long-term, multiplatform rights agreement. CBS Sports will feature up to 20 regular-season...
26/03/2026
Zac Brown Band will star in the Sunday Night Baseball show open on NBC and Peacock, NBC Sports announced. The open was filmed at American Family Field, home of ...
26/03/2026
Major League Baseball opens the 2026 season with nationally televised games across multiple media partners. Fans can visit MLB.com/Watch for a complete schedule...
26/03/2026
DIRECTV has announced an agreement to carry nine new MLB-operated team channels, covering the Cincinnati Reds, Detroit Tigers (Detroit SportsNet), Kansas City R...
26/03/2026
Nationals.TV, the Washington Nationals' local broadcast channel, is now avai...
26/03/2026
Starting Thursday, March 26, MLB.TV will be available on the ESPN App, giving fans access to more than 2,000 out-of-market regular season games. Fans can also r...
26/03/2026
Spotify's partnership with NAVER, Korea's leading digital platform, is built around one simple goal: making it easier for listeners in Korea to discover...
26/03/2026
Exclusive to ComposerCloud for first month
Sample library and virtual instrument gurus EastWest have announced the upcoming release of a new virtual drum i...
26/03/2026
Friday 27 March
Friday 27 March will mark Dynamic Range Day 2026, the annual day of online activity that was started in 2010 by mastering engineer Ian Sheph...
26/03/2026
Includes four separate instruments
Max Richter's SRM Sounds venture have just announced their fifth release, ASMR Choir. Captured at the main live room ...
26/03/2026
The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), an agency of the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture (DSAC), has been tasked with administering the Sixth Presi...
26/03/2026
By Matt Klein
Hello to everyone reading this - whether you're a current YEP, HPA member, or just YEP-curious. I'm Matt Klein, one of the co-chairs of t...
26/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
26/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
26/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
26/03/2026
28 participating companies, from start-ups to blue-chips, lead the UK Group as part of the GREAT Britain and Northern Ireland presence across all the Halls at N...
26/03/2026
Arkona Unveils BLADE//planner and Major Usability Enhancements at NAB 2026
Brie Clayton March 26, 2026
0 Comments
New graphical configuration tool and...
26/03/2026
Bitfocus showcases complete control at NAB Show 2026
Brie Clayton March 26, 2026
0 Comments
Continuing development drives advances in security, availa...
26/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
26/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
26/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
26/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
26/03/2026
Nevion introduces powerful new Panel Builder to enhance VideoIPath broadcast con...
26/03/2026
2026 Oscar Nominated Films Powered by Blackmagic Design
Brie Clayton March 25, 2026
0 Comments
DaVinci Resolve Studio used on 27 of this year's no...
26/03/2026
Leader to present full suite of advanced Test & Measurement solutions at NAB Sho...
26/03/2026
Boston Conservatory to Present New England and Collegiate Premiere of Groundbrea...
26/03/2026
Thursday 26 March 2026
HBO Max included for Sky and NOW customers from 26 March...
26/03/2026
Thursday 26 March 2026
Sky Sets Iconic Costumes Dancing Together Like Never Before' in Brand CampaignTurn on cookies to view this content. Go to Privacy o...
26/03/2026
Wuppertal March 26, 2026
CS live Builds Future-Ready OB Van With Riedel MediorNet and hi Control SystemRiedel Communications today announced that Czech-based ...
26/03/2026
Back to All News
Have a Wish Worth Dying For? Netflix's First Korean YA Hor...
26/03/2026
Back to All News
The Truthers, Starring Jose Coronado and St phanie Magnin, Pre...
26/03/2026
Enhancements to Harmonic's Sports Streaming Solution Introduce Server-Side Multiview, Contextual Metadata-Driven Advertising, Dynamic In-Stream Ads and Robu...
26/03/2026
Open the report
Our 2025 report brings together results from 79 business magazine titles across 22 market sectors, published by 49 media owners. Over the year,...
26/03/2026
Editor's note: This post is part of Into the Omniverse, a series focused on ...
26/03/2026
RT Commercial today announced Fiat as sponsor of The Louise Duffy Show on RT Radio 1, Weekdays 3pm 4pm.
The Louise Duffy Show is the home of daytime music...
26/03/2026
That gaming backlog won't clear itself - GeForce NOW is here to help. Stream the latest titles straight from the cloud across a variety of devices.
This we...
26/03/2026
Wayne, N.J., March 26, 2026 Phantom High-Speed announces the latest product li...
It's hard to define the genre to which Wild Tales (Relatos salvajes) belongs, but it's probably something along the lines of dark satire. Writer/director Dami n Szifron gathers an ensemble cast of A-listers and allots them an episode each, totaling six in all. While there's no narrative connection between each episode, they share an overarching theme: control, or lack thereof.
