Bad Tales (2020)

In the scorching heart of a Roman summer, a sterile suburban estate stands as a microcosm of frustrated dreams and simmering tensions. Here, families that seem to belong nowhere else are trapped in a purgatory of middle-class aspirations they can't reach, their discontentment a ticking time bomb ready to shatter the deceptive peace. The stifling heat intensifies the quiet sadism of fathers, the resigned passivity of mothers, and the simmering anger of children, weaving a complex tapestry of raw human emotion that teeters on the brink of disaster. Amidst this volatile environment, the children emerge as catalysts, their inherent innocence corrupted and their joy defiled by the very adults designed to protect them. They are the protagonists in this unfolding tragedy, their latent rage stirring the estate towards a cataclysmic end. Guided by an unreliable narrator whose tone dances between saccharine sweetness and biting sarcasm, we traverse this dark contemporary fairy tale. The directors' meticulous mise-en-scène paints an unsettling portrait of a community on the edge. Bad Tales is an intimate exploration of men and women caught in the cruel grip of unfulfilled desires and dreams that crumble all too soon, a stark reminder of the devastating consequences when hope is lost and innocence is stolen.

Bad Tales is a drama movie featuring Cristina Pellegrino and directed by Fabio D'Innocenzo.

Bad Tales is currently streaming for free (ad-supported) on Kanopy and Tubi TV.

It is also possible to buy Bad Tales on Amazon Video, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Vudu and YouTube.