Anti Wizards: Absurd Humour and Accidental Havoc in Comedy of Exceptions

Áron Siegler’s Anti Wizards is a comedy that hinges on its self-awareness and irony. Set in a world where everyone now has magical abilities—making outcasts of exceptions and heaving ordinariness on the formerly gifted—its ensemble cast sees catharsis tossed aside as unimportant while accident finds itself placed above will.

It is likely no accident, however, that the first few seconds of the opening recalls Akira. Set to a synth soundtrack and with kinetics of an 80s style, the narrative evokes the cynical, absurd humour of Adult Swim cartoons. The film’s penchant for mockery makes every reference the subject of potshots, from popular culture to politics.

The characters live on airborne islands, held afloat by the powers of the Egg, a powerful entity that granted everyone abilities a decade ago. Divided into four segments, the film uses each of the first three to introduce our main cast of exceptions who cannot do spells, the anti-wizards. There’s Fox News and Bible loving Leslie Fat (Siegler), who has the police (James Unsworth) called on him for the fourth time that week for shooting at a neighbour. Ronald Naldo (also Siegler), football player, whose contract will not be renewed due to his lack of magic. God (Siegler yet again, this time in person), a slovenly flesh-and-blood human in a world of 2D cartoons who is about to be thrown out of the hotel he built, for misdemeanour, while also no longer being the premiere magical being. On a side note, the funniest character actually appears for mere seconds and still steals the show: Adiescar Chase as Fox, the neighbour Mr Fat shot at for lying about being able to speak. On a side note on that side note, the voice performances are a triumph.

After their individual exiles, the main cast ends up on an island meant exclusively for the non-magical. Here, appearing particularly unflattering, the anti-wizard collective are about to discover the novel concept of butterfly effect in a climax overblown to the point where its protracted ridiculousness is an object of fascination.

The absurdity of the humour of Anti Wizards is a showcase of real world bad faith politics, though the film does not go into very great lengths to explore that. It peddles a perverse kind of fun, a faithful legatee of Adult Swim, joyfully frolicking in the waters of chaos and anti-catharsis. Come for the Mr Fat sequence and stay for the climactic blowup.

Watch Anti Wizards Short Film