[Fantasia ’24’] ‘Dirty Bad Wrong’ review: Tense short film highlights change

A movie like Dirty Bad Wrong would not have been made a few years ago. The premise of the short playing at the Fantasia Film Festival is nothing out of the ordinary. A sex worker named Sid has promised her son a superhero birthday party. In order to make her child happy she books an appointment with a client with a particular fetish.

The subject is treated in a way that shows how much perceptions around the sex industry have changed. In previous years, Dirty Bad Wrong would have been about a prostitute trying to do the right thing. There would have been multiple shots alluding to regret over her life’s choices and maybe even a speech about how Sid is having to do something she never wanted. It would have been a story designed to make audiences feel sorry for her.

Dirty Bad Wrong builds a character that will elicit empathy, but not because of her chosen profession. She is a mother who wants to do the best for her kid. Her job is what leads to the climax, but it is not the reason for it. This makes for a much more well rounded character and film.

The direction also makes for a much more engaging story. Your care for Sid and what she will do to make her son happy. Dirty Bad Wrong is a tense watch that builds to a scene that is difficult to watch without having to rely on being too graphic. It is a powerful short that highlights how much things have changed – except for a parent’s love.

The Fantasia International Film Festival takes places from July 18 – August 4. Check out the latest news HERE