Wild Tales (2014)

Last updated:
August 13, 2025

Wild Tales (original title: Relatos salvajes) is a 2014 Argentine-Spanish black comedy anthology directed by Damián Szifron. The film is made up of six standalone short stories, each exploring the extremes of human behavior when pushed to the edge. It is dark, satirical, and often uncomfortably funny.

Table of Contents

Detailed Summary – Critical Moments in Subheadings

1. “Pasternak”

A group of passengers on an airplane slowly realize they all know the same man — Gabriel Pasternak — who has wronged them in various ways. They discover that Pasternak is the pilot, and the flight is heading straight for the house of his parents-in-law. The short ends with the plane crashing.

2. “The Rats” (Las Ratas)

A waitress at a roadside diner recognizes a customer as the loan shark who drove her father to suicide. The cook suggests poisoning his food. The waitress hesitates but eventually lets the cook proceed. Things escalate when the man’s son eats the poisoned meal, leading to a violent confrontation.

3. “Road to Hell” (El más fuerte)

A rich driver and a rural mechanic engage in a road rage incident on a deserted road. What starts as insults quickly turns into a brutal physical fight, ending with both men dead, locked in a twisted embrace as their bodies burn in an explosion.

4. “Little Bomb” (Bombita)

A demolition engineer has his car repeatedly towed due to unfair city parking policies. His life unravels—he loses his job and his wife leaves him. Eventually, he decides to take revenge by blowing up a government building, becoming a folk hero to the public.

5. “The Proposal” (La propuesta)

A wealthy family’s son kills a pregnant woman in a hit-and-run. The father tries to pay the family’s groundskeeper to take the blame, but greed and extortion spiral out of control. In the end, the prosecutor arrives with a bribe proposal, and the victim’s husband storms in, attacking everyone.

6. “Till Death Do Us Part” (Hasta que la muerte nos separe)

During a lavish wedding reception, the bride realizes her groom cheated on her with a guest. She causes a scene, humiliates him, and leaves. Later, in a bizarre turn, she seduces the chef and then reconciles with her husband on the dance floor — in a violent, passionate display witnessed by the guests.

Movie Ending

The final story, “Till Death Do Us Part,” serves as the movie’s chaotic and symbolic closing. After public humiliation and revenge, the bride and groom seem to reach a twisted form of reconciliation. In the last moments, the wedding guests watch in stunned silence as the couple begins to dance again — aggressively, passionately, and a little dangerously — with the implication that their relationship will be defined by constant conflict and intense attraction. The camera lingers on the wild, almost manic expressions of the couple, sealing the film’s central theme: people pushed to their emotional limits often embrace the chaos rather than escape it.

Are There Post-Credits Scenes?

No, Wild Tales does not have any post-credits scenes. The stories end within their own segments, and the credits roll without additional footage.

Type of Movie

Black comedy, anthology film, drama, satire, thriller.

Cast

Ricardo Darín as Simón Fischer (Little Bomb)
Érica Rivas as Romina (Till Death Do Us Part)
Leonardo Sbaraglia as Diego (Road to Hell)
Oscar Martínez as Mauricio Pereyra Hamilton (The Proposal)
Darío Grandinetti as Salgado (Pasternak)
Rita Cortese as the cook (The Rats)
Julieta Zylberberg as the waitress (The Rats)

Film Music and Composer

The score was composed by Gustavo Santaolalla, known for blending traditional South American sounds with contemporary cinematic styles. His music in Wild Tales plays a subtle but vital role in underlining tension and irony.

Filming Locations

The film was shot across multiple locations in Argentina, including:

Buenos Aires – urban sequences like Little Bomb and The Proposal.
Salta Province – desert roads for Road to Hell.
Ezeiza Airport – the airplane scenes in Pasternak.

The choice of locations adds authenticity and cultural specificity, grounding the otherwise absurd events in very real environments.

Awards and Nominations

Nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the 87th Academy Awards.
Won Best Latin American Film at the Goya Awards.
Multiple wins at the Argentine Academy Awards including Best Film, Director, and Original Screenplay.

Behind the Scenes Insights

Damián Szifron developed the film over ten years, drawing inspiration from real frustrations and social injustices.
Each story was written separately, then grouped together under the central theme of losing control.
The wedding scene in Till Death Do Us Part required days of shooting with over 100 extras to maintain the chaotic energy.
Ricardo Darín agreed to star without reading the full script because he trusted Szifron’s vision.

Inspirations and References

Inspired by Argentine short stories and urban legends.
Szifron cites Alfred Hitchcock, Quentin Tarantino, and Pedro Almodóvar as stylistic influences.
The film also references classic anthology formats like The Twilight Zone.

Alternate Endings and Deleted Scenes

While there is no officially released alternate ending, early drafts had darker conclusions for certain stories, including a more violent finale to The Proposal. Some minor comedic beats were cut for pacing.

Book Adaptations and Differences

Wild Tales is not based on a book; it is an original screenplay.

Memorable Scenes and Quotes

Key Scenes

The moment all passengers in Pasternak realize their connection.
The explosion in Little Bomb.
The burning embrace in Road to Hell.
The bride’s meltdown in Till Death Do Us Part.

Iconic Quotes

“They say revenge is a dish best served cold. I like it steaming hot.” (Till Death Do Us Part)
“You don’t negotiate with terrorists. You blow them up.” (Little Bomb)
“Do you know who I am? I’m the guy who decides who goes to jail.” (The Proposal)

Easter Eggs and Hidden Details

In The Proposal, the framed photograph in the father’s study is actually of Szifron’s own family.
The menu in The Rats includes several joke dishes referencing other Argentine films.
In Little Bomb, the demolition company’s name is a nod to a 1970s Argentine TV series.

Trivia

The movie was the highest-grossing Argentine film in history at the time of its release.
Quentin Tarantino reportedly praised the film’s energy and unpredictability.
It was co-produced by Pedro Almodóvar’s production company, El Deseo.

Why Watch?

Because it’s sharp, biting, and a rare example of a film that’s as fun as it is thought-provoking. Each story packs a punch, offering a cathartic look at the consequences of letting anger and pride take control.

Director’s Other Movies

The Bottom of the Sea (2003)
On Probation (Tiempo de valientes, 2005)

Wild Tales (2014)