The Couchpotatoes
Russian movies... didn't see alot of them and the ones I saw were just not good. But this one is actually okay, especially for a horror movie. It might not be the scariest thing you ever saw but it has some dark vibes in it. The athmosphere is creepy, and the soundtrack is good and that's important if you want a decent horror movie because half of the dark ambiance in horror movies is due to a good soundtrack. I couldn't say much about the actors, because I don't know any of them, but they were all good enough to make this movie believable. Believable in the sense that their acting was good, not in a believable story which is almost never the point with horror movies. I'm glad that I, for once, saw a good Russian movie, and it's a horror movie so that's a bonus. Good enough to watch once.
garybenade
I went into this movie with no preconceptions and I came out satisfied. This is a foreign movie, with subtitles, but this gives it more character and in my opinion adds to the overall unique experience. I watched this with my 13 year old son and he was engaged the whole way through. The plot is tried and tested and nothing new but it is well played out with enough good twists in the plot to keep it interesting and the scares are not overdone or predictable. The epic aerial shots of the snow covered building somewhere in Russia are breathtaking and chilling and add to the uneasy cold gloomy feel that this movie maintains from the first scene. The acting is fresh and authentic and the characters are well cast and presented and are captivating and genuinely likeable, there is a authentic feel to this movie that a Hollywood blockbuster could never achieve. I absolutely loved every second of this movie and will definitely watch it again
misscath-02668
Wasn't sure how to approach a Russian horror with subtitles but I think it was done very well. Kind of a take on The Ring, which I also liked. It was nice to see a decently made film without dopey teenagers running around causing havoc! Lots of scary moments, the acting was pretty good for a B movie. Very well paced and great atmospheric moments. Would recommend this to any horror fan.
Michael Ledo
In the very first scene Anya summons the Queen Of Spades, the Russian equivalent of a Bloody Mary minus the vodka. Kids get haircuts and die. When the Bloody Mary aspect of the film gets old, they combine it with an exorcist type film (pick one, they are all about the same) with Vladimir Seleznyov playing the duel role of Zelda Rubinstein and Jason Miller.The film is Russian with English subtitles. It had some decent cinematography and story line. Was that a butter knife she cut her finger on and tried to stab people with? Also, one more time, a defibrillator can NOT start a stopped heart. It is used to STOP a heart that is fibrillating, hence the name "defibrillator". Kudos for the Russians to work in some obscure 2014 science fact that mice share 70% of their DNA with humans, although I fail to see why an entity would jump into a rodent because of it or even why someone would think that. Where is the major "B" film precedent? I know some of you want to quote Matthew 8:28-34, but that was pigs who share 98% DNA, not a mere 70%. The take away: The human race is mostly rat and nearly all pig.The film had some slow scenes and I think a black mirror would have worked better for the Queen of Spades with Russian pagan music with off-setting drum beats similar to the ones used in "Red Riding Hood" (2011-Amanda Seyfried). But that is just me. Anya was not too convincing when possessed, even with the funny contacts. Okay to watch when you can sit down and pay attention to the screen, unless you understand Russian.No swearing, sex, or nudity.