Plot: After his military service, Danilla moves to St-Petersburg to start his life anew. He moves there with his brother, who is an established criminal. He joins his brother and after his first hit, he turns out to be pretty skilled. He concludes that the gangster life may be suited for him, but things aren't as clear-cut as he believes.
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September 21, 2024
A rather raw and unfiltered crime drama, but it lacks the true grit to have any kind of impact. The lead is a rather dull and unwieldy character, the rest of the criminals aren't much better. There are some blunt scenes left and right, but none of them are able to shock, nor do they linger.
The romance angle isn't very interesting either, the cinematography is rather dire and the inclusion of pop music feels silly almost three decades later. Balabanov still manages to create a somewhat intriguing portrait of a young man who slowly submerges in a criminal swamp, but the delivery is rather poor.