Bad Tales 2021

In a film that defies the norms of traditional storytelling, a narrative emerges from the cryptic pages of a discarded diary penned by a young girl. The authenticity of these written confessions is left ambiguous, much like the tone of the movie itself, which oscillates between the dark and the surreal. This cinematic tapestry unfolds in short, jarring vignettes that build momentum with each passing moment.

The setting is a seemingly idyllic suburban landscape, where families with precocious children ranging from 8 to 13 years old are unwittingly exposed to their parents’ crass behavior and uninhibited adult antics. These children have grown up far too quickly, thanks to the reckless parenting on display. One particularly irresponsible father (character A) goes so far as to teach his 12-year-old son how to drive, offer him condoms, and allow him to drink beer - all in a misguided attempt to prepare him for adulthood.

As the story unfolds, a small group of children becomes disillusioned with the futility of their parents’ lives. Under the guidance of a deranged school teacher, they learn to manufacture crude yet seemingly potent homemade bombs and acquire a powerful insecticide that can debilitate its victims. Although these explosives are discovered before they can be set off, the dark undertones that permeate the narrative eventually come to fruition.

In the end, this bleak tale concludes with the sole-parent father (character A) and his son breaking free from their cycle of despair, while some of the other children remaining in the suburb succumb to desperation. The film’s haunting conclusion is underscored by a narrator who reminds us that these tragic events are based on the diary entries of a young girl - confessions whose authenticity remains shrouded in mystery.