The film does a notable job of switching between moods and tones, taking you on this heady ride of a narrative marked by moments that are both sinister and disconcertingly humorous. What begins with a bloodied man at the centre of an accident, soon moves to a dinner between friends to finally give way to a cozy cooking session of a very passionate couple. While on the face of it, the circumstances are manageable, at worst, and fairly ordinary, at best, something truly disturbing lurks behind this facade of mundaneness. The story and the plot stretch out their limbs in all their glory as the various layers get unpacked. 'Dark Tales' eventually offers a single night in the life of a couple, both inadvertently competing with each other in their twisted, misguided ideas of fun, enjoyment, and a distorted philosophy they have borrowed from a religious vocabulary. It is indeed an unexpected ride, but one that will stay with you long after it is over.

Dark Tales | Short Film of the Day

Humour and horror are two components of storytelling as disparate and distinct as oil and water if handled without finesse. And yet, if put together with attention to detail and the manner of treatment, they can lead to a sufficiently fulfilling story. The film is one such example, more effortless and satisfying in its final product than simple, sufficient fulfilment. The narrative is tight and crisp, without wasting a single moment and hitting the nail on the head right away. The pace, as a result, comes across as organic as well as engaging. The story is of one night when a woman is heading out for dinner with her parents and partner. If the viewer has been left wondering so far by the title of the film, their curiosity is about to be dispelled at this little get-together. The visuals employ a skilful use of close-ups with a complementary background score to bring to life on screen a fairly disconcerting story. Despite the assurance you may have given yourself so far, owing to the setting and the general ambience, that nothing truly disturbing is going to happen, the unease that something terrible lurks just around the corner, never leaves you alone. It is in this constant undercurrent of tension and stress that the success of Brought to You by Satan lies.

Brought to You by Satan | Short Film of the Day

Straddling a serious genre, often marked and defined by its grimness, with something like humor that lies on the other extreme, is never an easy task. The decision to do so is especially a courageous one for if things go wrong, they can go terribly, irrevocably wrong. The short film aims for the same, mixing thriller with humor to present forth the dark comedy of a dinner party, and ensures that all its punches land at the intended destination. The scene is of a meal table dominated by tacos and avocados, where four characters attempt to comfort a man whose girlfriend Kate went missing about two days ago. The backbone of this premise is further formed by technology and its deep infestation in the form of social media marketing and its omnipresence in our lives. Consequently, if you are indeed planning the murder of your partner, there would almost always be enough evidence of the act on your devices and in your search history, no matter how hard you try to hide your tracks. The film portrays all of this and more in an entertaining, engaging manner, keeping you involved in its developments throughout. There comes a point when it may appear that the narrative is headed towards a foregone conclusion. However, it leads you to that point, simply to foil all expectations, neatly tying the ends together at its close.

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