---
title: "Wild Tales"
year: 2014
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/wild-tales"
fi1m_id: "wild-tales"
imdb_id: "tt3011894"
tmdb_id: 265195
wikidata_id: "Q16672466"
fi1m_score: 83
critics_score: 79
critics_reviews: 15
published: "2026-09-15"
updated: "2026-09-18T08:38:01.769105+00:00"
region: "US"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Wild Tales (2014)

Directed by Damián Szifron · 2h 02m · MPA R · Drama, Thriller, Comedy

## Identity

Wild Tales

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/wild-tales
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** wild-tales
- **IMDb ID:** tt3011894
- **TMDB ID:** 265195
- **Wikidata ID:** Q16672466
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3011894/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/265195, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q16672466

**Fi1m score: 83** · Critics 79 from 15 reviews

*In a sentence:* A persuasive case for letting the other driver have the last word

> Damián Szifron’s six revenge stories are funny, nasty and unusually well matched for an anthology. A few run beyond their useful length, but the performances keep the anger recognisable even when the behaviour becomes absurd.

## Synopsis

Damián Szifron writes and directs six separate stories about people pushed towards revenge by humiliation, bureaucracy and the behaviour of strangers. An encounter on a plane, a dispute on the road and a wedding provide some of the settings for confrontations that grow out of everyday grievances. Ricardo Darín plays Simón Fisher, Leonardo Sbaraglia plays Diego and Érica Rivas plays Romina, with Oscar Martínez, Rita Cortese and Julieta Zylberberg among the ensemble. Each story follows a different group of people as anger takes over and the usual restraints on their behaviour begin to fail.

## Review

*Wild Tales* is a sharp, generously entertaining black comedy with a slightly repetitive middle, and we recommend it with that small reservation. Writer-director Damián Szifron builds six separate stories around the point at which people stop accepting what has been done to them. Revenge gives the film plenty of opportunities for bad behaviour, but the familiar irritations matter just as much. Bureaucracy, class resentment and wounded pride give the anger somewhere recognisable to start.

The opening plane story establishes how quickly Szifron can get a comic situation moving. He and fellow editor Pablo Barbieri Carrera judge the pace well, allowing each new piece of information to change how we understand the encounter. We have time to register the absurdity without being given time to get ahead of it. This is where the short-story format suits him: there is no obligation to turn a good idea into a full-length plot.

The road-rage episode makes equally good use of a simple dispute. Javier Julia’s cinematography makes the action easy to follow, which matters when each fresh provocation changes how far we are prepared to sympathise. We laughed, then grew uneasy at how much further we wanted the quarrel to go. The anger is familiar enough for us to take sides before we have properly considered what we are cheering on.

Ricardo Darín gives Simón Fisher the accumulated impatience these stories need; we believe there was a life before the grievance. His performance makes the complaint worth listening to even when Szifron is plainly more interested in the retaliation. Érica Rivas, as Romina, is the more volatile pleasure, keeping the wedding story from settling into a single joke. Her anger feels capable of changing direction, which helps a segment that might otherwise become merely noisy. Both actors make the exaggeration easier to accept.

The wedding also gives production designers María Clara Notari and Josè Massolo the clearest opportunity to make social expectations visible. The setting carries an insistence that this is an important occasion and everyone ought to behave, which makes the breaches of decorum funnier. Gustavo Santaolalla’s music is forceful enough for Szifron’s broad comedy, and its willingness to be conspicuous generally works. Occasionally the emphasis feels unnecessary. The actors are already making the situation quite loud enough.

The weakness is in Szifron’s writing when a story has established its grievance and still has ground to cover. Some of the middle stretches repeat the escalation instead of finding something else in the people involved. We begin waiting for the next outrageous development, and that waiting is less enjoyable than the film seems to think. The point about money and power can also feel settled before the scene is finished. A little less insistence would have made the satire sharper.

By anthology standards, though, this is unusually consistent in tone, even when the individual stories vary in strength. At 122 minutes it asks for more patience than its brisk opening suggests, but it keeps finding actors who can make unreasonable conduct persuasive. Give it an evening when the small indignities have been adding up. Perhaps leave any difficult correspondence until afterwards.

*Fi1m score 83, published 15 September 2026.*

## What the critics say

Most critics find Wild Tales a sharply entertaining black comedy anthology, with praise centred on the writing and the escalation of everyday grievances into outrageous revenge. The reviews repeatedly single out the opening aeroplane story and the road-rage episode for making violence both funny and unsettling, while the wedding story also attracts considerable enthusiasm. Strong performances, confident visual staging and a consistent dark humour help connect the six stories, and many critics find substance in their treatment of class, bureaucracy and social frustration.

The main reservation is unevenness: several reviews find individual episodes overextended or less effective, even when the collection remains enjoyable. The Wrap dissents from that qualification, finding no weak links, while The New Yorker takes a sharply opposing view, judging the plotting mechanical and the moralising simplistic. The consensus is firmly favourable, but the disagreement extends beyond which stories work to whether the social satire has much depth.

## Straight answers

**Is Wild Tales worth watching?**

*Wild Tales* is worth watching for anyone who enjoys black comedy with a nasty streak, and we scored it 83. Damián Szifron's six revenge stories are funny, well matched in tone and sharply acted by Ricardo Darín and Érica Rivas. The middle stretches repeat their escalation more than they need to, so expect the 122 minutes to feel longer than the brisk opening promises.

**How long is Wild Tales, and what is it rated?**

*Wild Tales* runs 2h 02m and is rated R by the MPA in the US. It is a drama and thriller film.

**Where can I watch Wild Tales in the US?**

*Wild Tales* is streaming on Tubi in the US, and it is also available to rent from Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV from $2.99. It leaves Tubi on 1 October. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service.

**How violent or frightening is Wild Tales, and is it suitable for children?**

*Wild Tales* carries a UK 15 certificate and is not suitable for children. Its six stories are about people taking revenge for everyday humiliations, and the road-rage and wedding episodes in particular push confrontation well past decorum into violence and cruelty. It is more uncomfortable than frightening, and older teenagers who can take dark comedy should manage it.

**How does Wild Tales compare to Falling Down?**

*Wild Tales* is the funnier and more varied of the two, while [*Falling Down*](https://film.one/film/falling-down) is the more sustained and unsettling. Both watch ordinary resentment turn into behaviour nobody should indulge, but Szifron spreads his anger across six comic stories where Joel Schumacher follows one man's day and tries harder to explain it. Choose *Wild Tales* for laughs with a sting, *Falling Down* for a single gripping descent.

**What should I watch after Wild Tales?**

After *Wild Tales*, try [*Falling Down*](https://film.one/film/falling-down) (1993, Fi1m 71): Another ordinary day becomes an excuse for anger nobody should indulge. Then [*Force Majeure*](https://film.one/film/force-majeure) (2014, Fi1m 84): For more social embarrassment, marital anger and adults behaving worse under pressure; and [*Kind Hearts and Coronets*](https://film.one/film/kind-hearts-and-coronets) (1949, Fi1m 91): Class resentment and revenge conducted with better manners and equally questionable priorities.

### Reviews we read (25)

- **Empire**, Damon Wise (85/100, inferred): This Oscar-nominated feature is a blast of black comedy inspired by modern pressures and escalating human extremes. It singles out the uproarious opening plane segment and the anarchic wedding climax while noting some uneven middle stories. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/wild-tales-review/)
- **Slant Magazine**, Chuck Bowen (85/100, inferred): The energetic anthology excels at exposing dehumanization beneath social institutions through its vignettes, with exhilarating narrative invention and one visceral masterpiece segment on class frustrations. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/wild-tales/)
- **The Independent**, Geoffrey Macnab (85/100, inferred): The film is a raucously entertaining collection of six revenge stories that mixes cartoonish excess with relatable everyday frustrations. It singles out the liberating thrill of characters transgressing social norms through violence and chaos. [Read](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/reviews/wild-tales-film-review-damian-szifron-presents-six-anarchic-tales-of-the-unexpected-10137195.html)
- **Evening Standard**, Demetrios Matheou (80/100, inferred): Szifron has fashioned six payback stories with visual flair and a wicked sense of humour that tap into a universal desire for cathartic revenge. It singles out the escalating wedding finale and Ricardo Darín’s demolition-expert segment as highlights. [Read](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/wild-tales-film-review-10138308.html)
- **Time Out**, Geoff Andrew (4/5): An engaging if uneven satire with universal black humour and a knack for outrageous excess grounded in perverse logic. The strongest episodes highlight road rage and political corruption with brilliant casting and wit. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/wild-tales)
- **Vulture** (80/100, inferred): The film delivers scarily entertaining revenge stories in six flavors that transform civilized people into destructive forces, with strong segments highlighting cathartic mayhem and social commentary. [Read](https://www.vulture.com/2015/02/wild-tales-review.html)
- **The AV Club**, A.A. Dowd (B): The anthology is generally inconsistent with hits and misses among its revenge vignettes but maintains an even tone and social dimension rooted in class conflict and bureaucracy. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/an-oscar-nominated-anthology-offers-6-darkly-comic-wild-1798182790)
- **The New Yorker**, Richard Brody (40/100, inferred): The six sketch-like variations on anger and revenge feature clever twists that are the point, but the moralizing is facile and the plotting mechanical. Szifron’s theatrics and simplistic attitudes seem borrowed from television commercials. [Read](https://www.newyorker.com/goings-on-about-town/movies/wild-tales-2)
- **Film Comment**, Jonathan Romney: The critic praises the film's slick, entertaining vignettes of revenge and human savagery, highlighting the sharp airplane opening and noting its universal appeal despite some pacing issues in individual stories. [Read](https://www.filmcomment.com/damian-szifron-wild-tales-review/)
- **IndieWire**, Eric Kohn: The review calls the film a brilliant social satire with subversive energy drawn from its revenge-themed vignettes and Almodóvar connection. [Read](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/culture/cannes-review-pedro-almodovar-produced-wild-tales-is-a-brilliant-social-satire-26614/)
- **Los Angeles Times**, Charles Solomon: The anthology is weighed down by clunky filmmaking and heavy-handed direction that fails to make the revenge vignettes compelling. Characters behave so rudely there is little reason to care what happens to them. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-wild-tales-movie-review-20141031-story.html)
- **Screen Daily**: A brilliantly conceived and confidently delivered one-man portmanteau of innovative, scathing social comedy that is gleefully imaginative and very funny in parts, though some later segments struggle for air. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/wild-tales/5071980.article)
- **Sight and Sound**, Mar Diestro-Dópido: The film is a funny, dark, hugely enjoyable black comedy anthology where everyday frustrations escalate into absurd, violent consequences. It stands out for its pitch-black humour, razor-sharp irony and coherent exuberance as a whole. [Read](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/film-week-wild-tales)
- **The Guardian**, Peter Bradshaw: The critic hails the film as a lethally sharp, scabrous collection of revenge tales from Argentina that pulses with cynicism and ill-temper. He singles out the airplane story and the road-rage sequence for their funny-yet-scary execution and praises the overall high success rate of the portmanteau. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/mar/26/wild-tales-relatos-salvajes-review)
- **The Hollywood Reporter**, David Rooney: The critic finds the anthology a riotously funny and cathartic response to contemporary frustrations, with strong off-kilter humor, stylish visuals, and bold music in its best segments. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/wild-tales-relatos-salvajes-cannes-705074/)
- **The New York Times**, Manohla Dargis: The critic finds the anthology high-spirited and often unsettlingly funny in its look at human behavior pushed to extremes. The best stories are executed with stripped-down narrative skill that makes moral hand-wringing seem beside the point. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/20/movies/review-wild-tales-explores-the-blurred-limits-of-morality.html)
- **The Times**, Wendy Ide: The review calls the Oscar-nominated Argentinian anthology riotously entertaining and exhilaratingly funny, a cathartic portrait of society with its veneer of civilisation peeled back to reveal impotent fury. It highlights the memorable wedding story and the explosive road-rage climax. [Read](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/film/article/wild-tales-qsgb2hb3js3)
- **Variety**: The wickedly delightful compendium of six standalone shorts united by vengeance explodes in spectacular bursts after put-upon souls are screwed over too many times. While not all episodes are equally successful, overall enjoyment rarely flags. [Read](https://variety.com/2014/film/reviews/cannes-film-review-wild-tales-1201184260/)
- **Eye for Film**, Amber Wilkinson (5/5): Szifron's six darkly comic shorts deliver ferociously funny revenge stories with tight writing, memorable performances and inventive staging that keeps the energy high throughout. The director's Roald Dahl-like unpredictability and focus on humour over horror make it a standout. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/wild-tales-2014-film-review-by-amber-wilkinson)
- **The Wrap** (90/100, inferred): The critic praises the film as an exceptionally skillful anthology of dark, hilarious vignettes with no weak links. Szifrón is singled out for his sharp storytelling and pitch-black humor reminiscent of Almodóvar. [Read](https://www.thewrap.com/wild-tales-review-damian-szifron-pedro-almodovar-academy-award-nominee/)
- **HeyUGuys**, Stefan Pape (80/100, inferred): The anthology delivers consistent dark comedy through six tales of everyday frustrations boiling over into revenge and chaos. It stands out for its uniform tone, strong cast and hilariously relatable comeuppance themes. [Read](https://www.heyuguys.com/wild-tales-review/)
- **Paste**, Tom Meek (80/100, inferred): The critic finds the anthology delivers punch and panache through six disparate stories laced with biting social commentary on Argentine class and justice. The opening airplane vignette and road-rage segment stand out for their outrageous yet believable escalation. [Read](https://www.pastemagazine.com/article/wild-tales)
- **The Skinny**, David McGinty (4/5): The review calls the portmanteau of revenge tales hilarious, unnerving and horrifying, praising its wit, cruelty and storytelling as a feat of narrative cinema that resonates with universal frustrations. [Read](https://www.theskinny.co.uk/festivals/uk-festivals/film/wild-tales-galsgow-film-festival)
- **The Playlist**, The Playlist Staff (B): The portmanteau of revenge-themed stories shows real talent and fresh energy but suffers from inconsistent quality and some segments that drag, preventing it from being fully cohesive. Strong performances and cinematic craft mark Szifron as a filmmaker to watch. [Read](https://theplaylist.net/review-impressive-oscar-nominee-wild-tales-makes-director-damian-szifron-one-to-watch-20150218/)
- **Consequence**, Justin Gerber (75/100, inferred): Wild Tales is called the definition of a crowd-pleaser, breezy and surprising with strong humor, violence, and standout performances especially from Érica Rivas. It earns a place among strong Oscar nominees despite not every segment hitting equally hard. [Read](https://consequence.net/2015/01/sundance-film-review-wild-tales/)

## Details

- **Director:** Damián Szifron
- **Director:** Damián Szifron
- **Writer:** Damián Szifron
- **Cinematography:** Javier Juliá
- **Editor:** Pablo Barbieri Carrera, Damián Szifron
- **Music:** Gustavo Santaolalla
- **Production design:** María Clara Notari, Josè Massolo
- **Costume design:** Ruth Fischerman
- **Producer:** Agustín Almodóvar, Pedro Almodóvar, Esther García
- **Cast:** Ricardo Darín as Simón Fisher (segment "Bombita"); Leonardo Sbaraglia as Diego (segment "El más fuerte"); Érica Rivas as Romina (segment "Hasta que la muerte nos separe"); Oscar Martínez as Mauricio (segment "La propuesta"); Rita Cortese as Cook (segment "Las ratas"); Julieta Zylberberg as Waitress (segment "Las ratas"); Darío Grandinetti as Salgado (segment "Pasternak"); María Marull as Isabel (segment "Pasternak")
- **Runtime:** 2h 02m
- **Certificate (MPA):** R
- **Release (the US):** 20 February 2015
- **Genres:** Drama, Thriller, Comedy
- **Budget:** $4 million
- **Box office:** $31 million

## Where to watch in the US

- Tubi: free, hd, leaving 2026-10-01
- Amazon Prime Video: rent $2.99, sd
- Apple TV: rent $3.99, hd
- Amazon Prime Video: buy $12.99, hd
- Apple TV: buy $12.99, hd

*Checked 2026-09-15.*

Also available in: AR, AT, AU, BE, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, DE, DK, EC, FI, FR, GB, IE, IL, IT, JP, MX, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PE, SE, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## Awards

- Academy Awards 2015: Best International Feature Film (nominated)
- International Submission to the Academy Awards 2015: International Submission to the Academy Awards (nominated)

## If you liked this

- *Falling Down* (1993), Fi1m 71: Another ordinary day becomes an excuse for anger nobody should indulge. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/falling-down.md)
- *The Executioner* (1963): A darker bureaucratic comedy, with ordinary compromises leading towards something appalling.
- *Force Majeure* (2014), Fi1m 84: For more social embarrassment, marital anger and adults behaving worse under pressure. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/force-majeure.md)
- *A Touch of Sin* (2013): Four stories of injustice and violence, with considerably fewer opportunities to laugh.
- *Kind Hearts and Coronets* (1949), Fi1m 91: Class resentment and revenge conducted with better manners and equally questionable priorities. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/kind-hearts-and-coronets.md)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/wild-tales