Small Deaths is a British anthology film that consists of three separate stories. Each of the stories explores the themes of death and loss in different ways.
In the first story, we see a young girl named Emily observing her father as he is getting ready to go out for the night. Her mother is visibly angry with him, but Emily is too young to understand what's going on. This segment is shot entirely from Emily's perspective, with an emphasis on her curiosity and confusion about the events unfolding around her.
The second story takes place when Emily is a teenage girl. She witnesses a violent and disturbing incident involving a cow being slaughtered at a nearby farm. The trauma of the experience lingers with her, as she struggles to come to terms with the reality of death. This segment is shot in a gritty, documentary-style, with a focus on the visceral experience of the cow's death.
In the final segment, Emily is a young adult who accompanies her boyfriend to a derelict building. He disappears upstairs, leaving her alone in the spooky, unfamiliar environment. As she waits nervously below, strange and unsettling things begin to happen. This segment is shot in a more atmospheric, horror-inspired style, with an emphasis on building tension and suspense.
Throughout the film, there is a sense of underlying unease and melancholy that ties the stories together. Small Deaths is a haunting, thought-provoking exploration of the fragility of life and the inevitability of death.
