Wives' Tale

Fables and legends of the sea have lived for as long as superstitious sailors and fearful fishermen have been sailing them. But the stories must come from somewhere, right? Wives’ Tale, the deeply atmospheric short from Cameron Lalor and Antony Woolmer, plunges a distant father and son into the point where truth and superstition blur, suggesting some cautionary tales are right to be heeded.

Having seemingly been estranged for some time, Oisin (Rowland) finally reunites with his father, Cormac (Ogborn), to partake in some late-night fishing. Around the campfire, before heading out into the moonlit water, Cormac begins to tell his son accounts of women who lure men to their watery graves, leaving Oisin to wonder if his father's “old wives' tales” are simply folklore or if dark family secrets are hiding beneath the waves.

Wives’ Tale certainly doesn’t hang about in putting its audience right where it wants them to be, uncomfortably on edge at all times. Composer Harry Prescott’s creeping, menacing, almost buzzing score strikes from the very first second, snatching the audience and dragging them under the film's treacherous waters.

But visually is where the film is at its strongest. Lalor and Woolmer make a terrific technical duo who keep us struggling under that current of uneasy apprehension. The bleak palette, fabulous lighting and claustrophobic framing effortlessly create and maintain a constant restlessness. This technical prowess is amplified when they let us peer into the dark, desolate night beyond the characters, using brief, unsettling glimpses, such as a lone woman walking along the shore, to make us question what is and what isn’t real.

Speaking of credible duos, we are also spoiled by two performances that also manage to match the mood perfectly. Both Rowland and Ogborn admirably do their part, with palpable nerves radiating off both characters, contributing significantly to the film’s already uncomfortably high anxiety levels.

The actual narrative of the piece, however, doesn’t quite match the technical heights. Despite all the foreboding promise leading up to its climax, the film's abrupt culmination causes the expertly built tension to deflate rather than bowing out with any final hurrah or flourish. The film could have given itself a bit more time to plunge a little bit deeper with its ideas in order for the ending to float better, perhaps then delivering a conclusion that the immense dread preceding it deserved.

Despite its slightly rough conclusion, Wives' Tale is an example of filmmaking technical brilliance and how to evoke the perfect atmosphere for your audience.