Review of Leviathan (2014) by Nathonas — 12 Jan 2016

This is the most authentically Russian film I've ever seen. I've lived in North America for 15 years and I felt like I was back in Russia when watching it. Many of the characters reminded me of my relatives or people I knew, the crumbling Soviet architecture, the dark pessimism, the corruption, and just the simple mannerisms are all distinctly Russian.

The plot is a bit exaggerated, though. Yes, Russia is corrupt, but I doubt things would realistically ever go so far as having Kolya wrongly imprisoned. Also, the film is set in a very remote part of Russia, so it's a lot more bleak than if it was set in a major city like Moscow. Outside of that though, the film is an absolute must see if you want to get a glimpse of Russian life, and try to understand why people drink so much.