An animated descent into madness, which leans heavily on a narrative soliloquy style that will feel reminiscent of Poe's '***The Telltale Heart***' and Shakespeare's ‘***Macbeth***’ -- **TALES OF THE BLACK FREIGHTER** tells the story of a lone surviving mariner captain who rapidly loses his mind while trying to come to terms with his ship and crew's destruction.

Directed by Daniel DelPurgatorio and Mike Smith, starring the vocal talents of Gerard Butler and Jared Harris, the gory images and the blood-soaked seas where the tale is set originally was to be included in the live-action 2009 **WATCHMAN** film by Zach Snyder, but was ultimately removed to save the runtime from an overbearing 3 hour and 35 minutes.

Grim in its graphic depictions of its maritime horror, and evocative of Théodore Géricault's 1818/19 painting *THE RAFT OF THE MEDUSA,* the brilliant animation and script makes this a can't miss viewing experience even if how it all connects to the Watchman universe remains a headscratcher.