Cult Review
Senior Film Conservator

Look, if you are the type of person who digs through bargain bins or clicks on the most obscure thing you can find on a streaming service, you’ll probably find something to latch onto here. It’s got that raw, unpolished energy that makes you wonder how it even exists. But if you need a clear plot or, you know, things to actually make sense, stay away. Far away. 🎥
It feels like a rough draft of a movie that forgot to get a final polish. The pacing is all over the map, like it hit a few speed bumps and decided to just keep driving anyway.
Lev Zamkovoy is doing a lot of heavy lifting here. Sometimes he looks like he’s in a completely different movie than everyone else. It’s kind of fascinating to watch him try to anchor a scene that feels like it’s drifting into a fog bank.
There is a sequence about halfway through where someone is just staring at a wall for what feels like five minutes. I don't know if it was a technical error or a bold artistic choice, but I couldn't look away. It’s the kind of weird, uncomfortable moment that makes you feel like you’re trespassing on the set.
The lighting in the second act is surprisingly moody. It makes the whole room feel like it’s covered in a layer of fine dust. It reminds me a bit of the atmosphere they tried to build in Panthea, but way less polished.
Is the script good? Honestly, I’m not sure. Some lines hit like a brick, and others just float away into nothing. It feels like the writers, Lev Zamkovoy and Arsen Aravski, were just scribbling down thoughts as they went.
If you liked the disjointed feel of The Lady, you might appreciate the mess here. It’s not better, just... different. It has that same unsettling stillness that makes you check your watch. But you won't look away. You’ll just sit there, wondering why the scene is still going.
It’s a strange little artifact. I’m glad I saw it, but I’m also kind of glad it’s over. Sometimes you just need to watch something that isn't trying to be perfect. 🎞️
1918