Sputnik 2020. Egor Abramenko.

Sputnik is a film I knew very little about before watching it. Okay, I guess the title is a bit of a giveaway, but I hadn’t watched any trailers or read any reviews beforehand. It was just the simplicity of the poster above that made me believe this film was worth watching, and when that happens, I’m usually right. Sputnik was released in 2020 and is the first feature-length film from Director Egor Abramenko. The filming was conducted in Moscow, and most of the film’s scenes were shot at the Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry.

It’s 1983, and the World is still in the grasp of the Cold War. Above Earth, two cosmonauts are waiting to return home from an orbital research mission. Preparing for re-entry, the cosmonauts become fearful as a strange object appears outside the ship and damages it, leaving them to crash land on Earth. Only one of the crew members survives, and he seems to be sick or infected. Dr Tatyana Klimova Oksana Akinshina is a neurophysiologist who will do whatever is needed to help her patients. Colonel Semiradov Fyodor Bondarchuk believes she can help the surviving cosmonaut during his quarantine. It’s not long before Tatyana learns the truth, that the survivor has an extra-terrestrial organism living inside of him. One of the first things I noticed about this film was the high quality of the production design. The filming locations are limited, but the colours and textures used on set definitely raised the film’s visual appeal for me. It all looks cold and uninviting, and the only warmth comes from Tatyana.

So, the film looked great, but did the special and visual effects hold up? Perfectly, in my opinion. The imagery in this film is beautiful, and I’m happy to say that everyone involved in the movie’s production is at the top of their game. I mean, look at the detail on the cosmonaut’s suit above. The attention to detail is precise, and you can see how the helmet has gone from a piece of life-saving equipment to a life-threatening hazard. Also, the craft that went into making the suit is jaw-dropping. I have spent quite a lot of time looking at all the little details, including the ribbons, clips, and cables that make it look like a real piece of equipment. I know the picture is pretty gory, but there is something beautiful about it as well.

The creature looked perfect and, sometimes CGI can take you out of the film for a moment, but they made the creature look real. To create an extra-terrestrial, that is both terrifying and cute is quite impressive. Its fluidity and movements are pretty realistic as far as computer-generated imagery goes. Can you find a CGI creature that looks this good? I can’t, as its skin texture and muscle tone make it one of the best aliens on-screen since Alien. This film has subtitles, but I didn’t think about that for a second. The simple reason for that is because the script is solid, a bold statement but one I will stand by. The characters in this film have a real sense of depth and purpose. Konstantin Pyotr Fyodorov is a cosmonaut who is sprinkled with a sense of sadness and regret. I’m not sure, but I think the creature chose him for that reason. Colonel Semiradov is a man who is strong with his decisions, and who will try to complete his mission, whatever the cost.

Finally, the star of the show, Oksana Akinshina. I found her character to be tough to understand at first. However, this is not a complaint, it’s a recognition of brilliance. There are strong themes of fear and symbiotic relationships within the film, and I think this is what helps elevate Tatyana’s character to another level. It isn’t the career that drives her, it’s her fearless approach to doing what is right. It’s about understanding that we all share a symbiotic relationship with others in life, whether we have met them in person or not. It’s Tatyana’s relationship with Konstantin’s son that completes the film to perfection and it is a wonderful and powerful performance. I know there is a lot more meaning to this film but after the first viewing, it felt pretty insular, and I loved that. However, I will be going back for more. I’m impressed with Vodorod, and I expect big things from this production company in the future. To say I was impressed with Sputnik would be an understatement, it was a brilliant film, and I can’t wait to see what they come up with next.

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