Wes Anderson's 4 short films arriving on Netflix this month
At long last! Acclaimed auteur Wes Anderson's four short films—based on the short stories written by poet and children's author Roald Dahl—are ready to premiere on Netflix toward the end of September. These are The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar (September 27), The Swan (September 28), The Ratcatcher (September 29), and Poison (September 30). Here's everything to know about them ahead of their arrival.
'The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar'
TWSOHS stars Benedict Cumberbatch as the eponymous character, with supporting roles by Ralph Fiennes, Dev Patel, Ben Kingsley, Rupert Friend, and Richard Ayoade. The short film premiered at the recently concluded Venice International Film Festival and will have a limited theatrical release in the US on September 20. In its review, Variety opined, "Roald Dahl's stories prove a good match for Anderson's intricate approach."
'The Swan'
The Swan will feature Anderson's frequent collaborator Fiennes, Friend (the narrator), and Asa Jennings. Per Netflix, it is 16 minutes long, and the official description reads, "Two large, ignorant bullies ruthlessly pursue a small, brilliant boy in this young adult Roald Dahl short story." In the original story, the name of the primary bully is Ernie and his victim is Peter Watson.
'The Rat Catcher'
Per Netflix's description, "A professional rodent killer takes center stage in this lesser-known Roald Dahl short story." Coming to the source material, The Ratcatcher is the first story in a series called Claud's Dog and was published in 1954. In the story, the catcher is described as someone "who looks like a large rat" and devises a plan to entrap rats through poisoned oats.
'Poison'
Poison was published in June 1950 and in 1958, it served as an inspiration for an episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents, helmed by Hitchcock. The story is set in India during British colonial rule and focuses on the protagonist Harry Pope, who believes that a snake has crawled onto him and he needs a doctor immediately. The short film is 16 minutes long.
