Supper Is a Darkly Funny Family Meltdown That Turns a Calm Dinner Into Total Chaos

The dark comedy short film Supper, written and directed by Joshua Ryan Dietz, takes a quiet family dinner and transforms it into a full-blown emotional explosion filled with resentment, cruelty, and absurd humor. The film focuses on a group of siblings, cousins, and relatives who gather under the guise of a typical family meal but reveal a hidden agenda to legally emancipate one of their brothers and kick him out of the household.

What begins as a polite and classy gathering quickly unravels as long-buried tensions surface and every small disagreement snowballs into a much bigger confrontation. The film uses sharp dialogue and rising hostility to expose the family’s deep-seated conflicts, creating a blend of discomfort, shock, and dark laughter.

Dietz leans heavily into the strange politics of family relationships, starting the short with a painterly calm, refined tone, and carefully composed visuals. The shadowy lighting and slightly off-kilter framing immediately signal that something is wrong beneath the surface, even before the arguments begin.

Once the dinner progresses, each layer of civility is peeled away until the gathering becomes a chaotic emotional battleground. Quiet stares and snide remarks evolve into wild accusations, painful reveals, and escalating verbal attacks that push every character past their limits.

The ensemble cast delivers these moments with bold, committed performances that balance stylized comedy and genuine emotional pain. Jeff Perry, known for his work on Scandal, leads as the family patriarch alongside Dale Dickey, Aleksa Palladino, Sam Rechner, Andrew Perez, Joshuah Arizmendi, and Henry Samiri. Each actor brings a mix of humor, vulnerability, and raw nerve, allowing the story to maintain tension even when the humor becomes unhinged.

One of the standout moments in the short is the family’s heated and ridiculous fight over who was the father’s favorite child, a discussion that perfectly captures the film’s ability to make the audience laugh and cringe at the same time. Every line feels charged with a blend of affection and malice, creating a messy and painfully relatable portrayal of sibling rivalry.

Visually, the film heightens the emotional intensity by confining the action to a richly decorated, almost claustrophobic dining room. This setting acts like a pressure cooker, emphasizing how isolated and trapped the characters feel as their arguments escalate.

Dietz’s direction embraces emotional bloodlust, letting the dinner devolve into moments of heartbreak, shock, and even violence. By balancing absurdity with sincerity, Supper explores the complicated mix of love, loyalty, and cruelty that often exists within families, especially when approval and belonging are at stake.

The short has already attracted attention on festival circuits and from film outlets, with viewers praising its bold tone and chaotic energy. You can learn more about the film and watch the official short through its creator’s website at joshuaryandietz.com.

For anyone who enjoys dark humor, emotional unpredictability, and stories that push family dynamics to the breaking point, Supper is a sharp, daring, and thoroughly entertaining watch.