Pentola
2022 · 7m · Italy
Directed by Leo Černic
Genres: animation, comedy, LGBTQ+
Tones: absurdist, darkly comic, whimsical
A small middle-aged man trapped in a mundane marriage dreams of escaping heteronormativity as a superhero — and leaves his wife Titti for Batman.
Picked by Felix
The scouts
A middle-aged man leaving his wife for Batman is the kind of premise that makes you laugh *and* immediately ask what the hell you just watched — which is exactly why it works. Černic doesn't soften the absurdity; he leans into it with the confidence of someone who knows most scouts would pass.
The film's playful collision of domestic realism and superhero fantasy sits uneasily in most traditions, though its lineage to absurdist animation is evident in the considered restraint of its visual gags and the precision required to land such a conceptually risky joke without sentimentality.
The entire film hinges on the tonal shift when Batman arrives — Černic could have played it big, but instead holds the moment just long enough to make the marital collapse feel inevitable rather than punchline, which is the decision that transforms a concept into something that actually stings.
Reviews
Pentola takes the cake as one Outfest LA 2023's most wonderfully absurd animated shorts. The animation style is perfect for accentuating the absurdity of the dream but also gives such a wide berth to the concept so as to make all of its childlike wonder flow forth with glee.