SanEat A film with more than the usual spoiler issues. Talking about it in any detail feels akin to handing you a gift-wrapped present and saying, "I hope you like it -- It's a thriller about a diabolical secret experiment."

Murphy Howard I enjoyed watching this film and would recommend other to give it a try , (as I am) but this movie, although enjoyable to watch due to the better than average acting fails to add anything new to its storyline that is all too familiar to these types of movies.

Teddie Blake The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

Yash Wade Close shines in drama with strong language, adult themes.

alexanderdemidov I lived in Siberia between 1963 and 1973 and I can testify that the film is as true to the reality of life there as it gets.

sina14-343-118698 It's lovely movie,Siberia. Late autumn. In taiga.In the deserted village there lives an old man Ivan & his seven-year-old grandson Leshia. A pack of feral dogs devours everything alive in the neighborhood. One of these dogs is Leshia's best friend. Sometimes their relative uncle Yuri brings food to them. Once on his way back from Ivan's village uncle Yuri is attacked by dogs & perishes. Ivan & Leshia stay without supply. Once Leshia witnesses Ivan shooting at 'his' dog & runs away. The old Man finds him in a dry well, but he fails to get him out on his own. Ivan sets out through taiga in search of help. Now the dogs are hunting him... And the boy is waiting for his father...

Boris Vinogradsky I talked to my American friends before watching and all of them warned me that this is a "heavy" movie. Guess what, it was like I just went home. Real. It was true in every detail. Brutal. Exposing. Poisonous. Nauseating. Yes. And true. Superb work by Slava Ross worthy of Oscar nomination. I think that the strongest lines were: Grandpa, Lyosha, the Captain and Anna, aside from Fang the dog. There was only a single overreach - I do not remember drinking vodka for breakfast. Otherwise - the film was captivating and honest. I feel that sometimes watching the endless line of all-goody-goody movies kills our ability to perceive reality, which is far from nice and fluffy. Soviet system kills the most important thing in every man - his ability to respect himself. That is what the Grandpa in the movie is running from and so do we...

nitorch With this complex story about human nature, Slava Ross made exceptional debut as a director. She put back on track Russian cinema, that in past few years lost some of the values with failed blockbusters, historical epics and unnecessary sequels (some of them made even by Mikhalkov).Alongside with Vozvraschenie, this is another character study that deals with hard life of individuals living in remote area. It creates a parallel between humans and animals, compassion and cruelty, living and surviving.The story is breathtaking, very well written and directed. Cinematography is stunning: it shows in its perfection the main character of the story - nature. Beautiful, distant, unpredictable, frightening and never-ending space... which controls actions of every other character. Their inner nature and emotions gets changed towards each other depending on circumstances. However, they are connected in a battle against the wilderness of the nature, but divided by a way of surviving.Do not miss this modern Russian masterpiece which shows a circle of life with one different point of view.