Alleycats is a 2016 animated short film that features Nail, the last Siamese clan survivor, whose mission is a simple one: Avenge the death of his father.
From Blow Studio and featured on CGI Meetup. The short was co-directed by Alejandro Jiménez & Bernardo González.
The short can be seen here
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The animated short provides examples of:
- Anti-Hero: Nail's goal is understandable given he watched his father be brutally murdered, but he is vicious in his pursuit.
- Anti-Villain: The Enemy Leader may have murdered Nail's father but he didn't try to kill a young Nail, the Soldiers were most likely his sons whom he cared for, and his daughter mourned for him, all pointing to him not being completely without a heart.
- Carry a Big Stick: The Enemy Leader's main weapon is a giant-sized, two-wielded hammer.
- Cycle of Revenge: Nail killing the Enemy Leader for killing his father. And now the Daughter looks like she's planning on killing Nail for the same reason.
- Disappeared Dad:
- Nail's father was killed by the Enemy Leader when he was a child.
- The Enemy Leader becomes this to his Daughter after he is killed by Nail.
- Downer Ending: Nail is left horrified over putting another person what he went through and the Daughter's reaction suggest the Cycle of Revenge will continue.
- Forced to Watch: Nail was forced to watch his father be murdered by the Enemy Leader as the former was hidden away before the battle.
- He Who Fights Monsters: Nail comes to this realization as his murder of the Enemy Leader caused the Daughter the same grief (and later, thirst for vengeance) he had.
- History Repeats: Two skilled warriors get into a fight leading to one's death, but the latter's offspring was present, and said child is driven to grief and vengeance for the death of their father. It happened to Nail as a child and to the Daughter at the end.
- Missing Mom:
- What became of Nail's mother. Given he was described as "the surviving member of the Siamese clan", it can be implied she is dead.
- The Daughter, and therefore the spouse of the the Enemy Leader, doesn't make an appearance.
- Muscles Are Meaningless: Nail is lean but is able to subdue his much larger enemies.
- My God, What Have I Done?: Nail's reaction after the Daughter grieves over her father's death, which makes Nail realize he now caused another person to go through the same thing he went through.
- One-Man Army: Nail was able to kill the Soldiers without any help. By the way, the Soldiers consists of five big, burly cats who have a variety of weapons.
- Outliving One's Offspring: The Soldiers who are killed by Nail have a Strong Family Resemblance to the Enemy Leader, suggesting they are his sons, and thus are killed before he is. The only exception is the Daughter.
- Pyrrhic Victory: Nail gets his vengeance on his father's murderer but is horrified over causing grief to the Daughter and the latter is heavily implied to planning her vengeance on Nail.
- The Runt at the End: Implied. There's already a strong implication the Soldiers are the Enemy Leader's son and the Daughter is confirmed to be his child as well. And unlike the Soldiers, the Daughter is tinier and less muscular than them, implying she's the runt.
- Silence Is Golden: Downplayed. Except for some yells, grunts, and crying, no character has a spoken line.
- Sole Survivor: Nail is the last surviving member of the Siamese clan.
- Strong Family Resemblance:
- Nail looks very much like his father when he was the latter's age. In fact, the Enemy Leader was able to recognize Nail as the boy he left in the alleyway because of how much he resembles his late father.
- Implied in the case of the Soldiers, who all bare a strong liking to the Enemy Leader, strongly implying the Soldiers are (or were) his sons. And the Daughter looks like her father and brothers as well, just less muscular looking.
- Took a Level in Badass: Nail started off as a scared young boy who had to be hidden away from his father to fight the Enemy Leader. As an adult, he's a skilled enough One-Man Army whose is a master of different weapons.
- Wouldn't Hurt a Child: The Enemy Leader didn't attack a young Nail after killing the latter's father.
- You Killed My Father: The central story as Nail tracks down the Enemy Leader to avenge his father's death. This becomes the Daughter's motivation in the end.
