Films from Russia have a tendency to be bleak, and this one from the director of Leviathan (one of my favourites from 2014) is no exception; in fact it is so bleak that it’s hard to identify any uplifting or hopeful moments, although I do not say that as a criticism. This is a story about an emotionally ugly marital breakdown, where the husband and wife put their own needs far before their one son’s welfare, even when that son goes missing and the police are called upon to investigate his disappearance. This is not a film for the faint of heart, but I’m pretty sure it will stick with you long after you’ve watched it. (Subtitles.)
