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Syndrome
Синдром
2023 84 min Russia 16+
★6.6
Thriller
Director: Anton Bormatov
Trailers
EN
EN
Description
A horrific car accident turns a married couple's lives upside down. Artist Maria's husband, businessman Kirill, becomes disturbingly perfect. Is he repenting his mistakes and trying to make up for what he almost lost forever, or is it all a figment of Maria's injured imagination? A series of increasingly strange coincidences and signs suggest that Maria can no longer trust herself.
Starring
Oksana Akinshina
Actor
Alina Alekseeva
Actor
Kristina Ayvazovskaya
Actor
Key opinion
The film offers a stylish, atmospheric take on the psychological thriller genre that leans heavily on unreliable narration. While many viewers appreciate the aesthetic and the performances of the leads, the narrative cohesion and writing quality remain highly contentious points of debate.
| Acting | Oksana Akinshina delivers a magnetic, expressive performance that serves as the film’s central emotional anchor. | |
| Cinematography | The cinematography and production design successfully create a slick, modern, and polished visual atmosphere. | |
| Originality | The film relies on derivative genre tropes and a 'Westernized' style that lacks genuine, standalone originality. | |
| Screenplay | The screenplay is divided: proponents value its intricate puzzle-box structure, while critics condemn the dialogue as artificial and the narrative as filled with gaping holes. | |
| Pacing | The pacing is divisive; some find the tight runtime keeps the suspense rhythmic and engaging, while others perceive the first half as dull and dragging. | |
| Ending | The ending is polarising; audiences are split between those who find the twists surprising and effective and those who label the climax illogical, flat, or unintentionally comical. |