A Severe Young Man: More Soviet Stiff-Upper-Lip Than You Might Expect

Is it worth your time?

If you have a high tolerance for people standing in rooms and arguing about abstract concepts while looking incredibly serious, you’ll dig this. If you need a plot that actually moves, steer clear. This is for the folks who like their cinema dry, historical, and slightly uncomfortable.

Honestly, watching A Severe Young Man feels like being a fly on the wall in a very intense, very awkward faculty lounge. The characters spend so much time debating "free love" that you start to wonder if they even know what love is. They talk about it like it’s a math problem they’re trying to solve on a chalkboard.

The Vibe

The whole thing is just so stiff. Everyone stands perfectly straight, like they’re afraid a sudden movement might cause a state-mandated reprimand. There’s this one scene where a guy is talking about personal freedom, and I swear he’s barely blinking. It’s almost hypnotic.

The cinematography is weirdly static. It doesn’t have the kinetic energy you see in something like The Mummy, but maybe that’s the point. It feels like the camera is also participating in the debate, just refusing to look away from these people’s pained faces. The framing is often tight, which makes the room feel smaller than it actually is. Very claustrophobic.

• That one guy’s coat looks incredibly itchy.
• The dialogue is so dense it feels like chewing gravel.
• I think the background music forgot to show up for half the scenes.

It reminds me a bit of the stuffy atmosphere in The Greene Murder Case, but with way more talk about the Soviet economy. It’s a strange mix of high-minded philosophy and just plain old grumpiness. There’s a scene where the lead looks out a window and I just wanted him to smile, or maybe throw a chair. Anything to break the tension.

It’s not a film that invites you in. It demands you sit there and listen. I caught myself checking the time twice, but then I got sucked back into how weirdly aggressive the conversation became over a cup of tea. Why are they so angry? I don’t think the movie knows either. It just is.

I suppose if you like films that feel like a chore you’re actually enjoying, this is the one. It’s definitely not Chicken a La King, that’s for sure. It’s severe. The title wasn't lying.