Carga Animal (Animal Transport)
2023 · 19m · Argentina
Directed by Iván Bustinduy
Genres: drama, horror, thriller
Tones: contemplative, dark, surreal, tense
A truck driver returns to his job transporting animals across Argentina, but on his first trip back he discovers what appears to be a person inside one of the cages — a mystery that pushes him to the edge of his sanity.
Picked by Margot
The scouts
Cage on a truck containing something almost human, never revealed. Argentinian psychological horror with restraint is a flavor I always come back to — Bustinduy keeps the lid on.
Bustinduy never revealing what is in the cage — Palm Springs Special Mention, Fantastic Fest, BAFICI — places this in Carlos Reygadas's restraint-as-horror tradition. Nineteen minutes of psychological ambiguity is exactly the right ask.
Never revealing what's actually in the cage across 19 minutes of near-dialogue-free truck-driver horror is a discipline most thrillers can't keep — Fantastic Fest and Palm Springs Special Mention say the restraint is working. The ambiguity IS the genre.
Reviews
Bustinduy builds the tension through a patient edit, subtle sound design and an imposing performance from lead actor Héctor Bordoni, toying with audience expectations to create a tense and impactful viewing experience that leaves a lasting impression.
By leaving this puzzle unanswered, Bustinduy crafts a narrative that is even more unsettling and haunting — never interested in conveying a specific line or message, but rather in putting the character and the viewer in front of a series of questions.
Festivals
- BAFICI 2023
- Palm Springs International ShortFest 2023, Special Mention: Best Midnight Short
- Fantastic Fest 2023
- Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (PÖFF Shorts) 2023
- Byron Bay International Film Festival 2023
- Chicago Latino Film Festival