A Wild Family Showdown Unfolds In The Dark Comedy Short Film SUPPER
If you enjoy crazy stories that revel in family drama, emotional fireworks, and pitch black humor, the dark comedy Supper is absolutely worth your time.
We’re sharing the full short on GeekTyrant today, and it is one hell of a cinematic meal. What starts as a calm, classy family get together becomes an explosive collision of resentment, cruelty, and absurdity. It is uncomfortable, funny, and surprisingly moving, all wrapped in a sharp genre package.
Before diving into what makes this film such a ride, here’s the complete official description of Supper, which you’ll also see in the short’s festival materials
“A set of siblings have gathered at dinner, joined by a few cousins and other relatives. But what seems like a family gathering reveals another agenda: they've gathered to legally emancipate their brother and kick him out of the household.
“What begins as a formal, even polite affair quickly spirals into chaos, and in the emotional melee, dark secrets and deep-seated resentments surface, shaking up the family in more ways than they expected.
“Directed and written by Joshua Ryan Dietz, this dark comedy short is an unexpected, jarring and audacious take on the family dinner drama. The family gathering offers a classic dramatic set-up that often works like a crucible to magnify and intensify emotional conflicts in a group, making for unexpected and energetic collisions of agendas and characters. But with its sharp writing and equally bold performances, this narrative ratchets up the dark humor, intensity and irony to such a degree that viewers will be asking themselves "Wow, did they really go there?" amid their laughter and disbelief.
“At first, the gathering seems civil, even slightly formal, though there's something in the painterly, shadowy visuals and slightly off-kilter framing that cues us that something might be off about this family. The room itself feels cloistered and isolated from reality, almost claustrophobic in its textured, rich decor. As the dinner unfolds, the sharp writing has a patina of spiky formality as well, as the real reason for the gathering comes out: they're kicking out one brother of the family, legally and emotionally. From there, emotional chaos erupts, with each seemingly minor explosive expression or reveal setting off increasingly bigger (and funnier) ones.
“As the family, the ensemble of actors -- led by SCANDAL stalwart Jeff Perry as the patriarch and including Dale Dickey, Aleksa Palladino, Sam Rechner, Andrew Perez, Joshuah Arizmendi, and Henry Samiri -- find the balance between stylized comedy and genuine agony and pain. As the family argues over who was their father's favorite child, each line feels loaded with both love and malice. As the conversation seesaws from dark humor to real threat, the storytelling doesn’t shy away from the cruelty that often lies beneath family dynamics. It makes for one low blow after another -- until it all reaches a breaking point.
“Unflinching, daring and almost primal in its emotional bloodlust, SUPPER layers moments of genuine shock, heartbreak, and even violence to capture this most dysfunctional of families. It balances absurdity and sincerity to explore how love, loyalty, and cruelty can coexist in the most intimate of spaces, and despite its stylistic bravura and eccentric flourishes, it hits upon an essential truth about families. In the end, we all want love, belonging and the approval of our loved ones -- and we'll do almost anything to get it.”
What makes Supper stand out is the way writer and director Joshua Ryan Dietz leans into the absurdity of family politics. The film starts with an almost painterly calm. The mood feels refined, the conversation measured, and the environment beautifully composed.
Then every layer of civility is slowly peeled back until the whole dinner erupts. The short thrives on that contrast, building tension through quiet stares and barbed remarks until the story turns into a wild emotional free for all.
The cast delivers the escalating chaos with terrific energy. They each play their roles with a mix of humor and raw nerve that keeps the story grounded while still embracing the unhinged tone.
What really lands is how the film swings between comedy and genuine discomfort. The family’s argument over the father’s favorite child hits that perfect sweet spot where the audience can laugh and cringe at the same time. It’s messy, petty, painful, and completely relatable in the most exaggerated way possible.
If you’re into short films that push their characters to the brink while keeping you laughing, Supper is an awesome watch. It is dramatic, daring, and entertaining from start to finish. Dive into the short below and enjoy the chaos.