“Wild Tales” is an anthology film that tells six different tales of desperate people and what they’ll do to not only survive but also in most cases get even with people and the world that has done them wrong.

Damian Szifron’s Academy Award nominated film is not only a welcome return to a style of filmmaking that seems to have disappeared as of late but it’s also one of the most entertaining films screening at the moment. Instead of trying to half heartedly weave all the separate stories he tells together, Szifron instead lets them live as their own individual pieces of cinema, telling a different tale and incorporating a different tone, cinematic style and feel as they each progress. He never forces the audience to draw connections between the events instead he just invites them onto the rollercoaster of emotion that is his film.

Without going into detail of each individual story (it’s more fun to discover them on your own!) it’s safe to say that “Wild Tales” marks the arrival of a brilliant filmmaking talent as Szifron expertly navigates through comedic territory while it simultaneously plumbs the depths of the darker nature of humanity (the opening story manages to perfectly encapsulate both of these elements, letting the audience know exactly what they’re in for, ending with a freeze frame title screen that could be one of the best moments in film this year).

If awkward, uncomfortable, chilling and often hilarious scenarios are your jam than “Wild Tales” is a film you can’t miss. With stories ranging from the moral dilemma surrounding a horrible accident to road rage taken to it’s extremes, fingers crossed this brilliant film heralds a return of quality anthology filmmaking with it’s enthralling tales, expertly executed, all culminating into one hell of a cinematic experience.

8.5 out of 10.

Reviewed by Chris Swan.