Bešenstvo

A likeable Russian survival drama crossed with animal horror. The Russians can surprise sometimes and this time they chose a rewarding and attractive theme that I really like do, and even though it has some flaws, it is a solid one. The film is set in an isolated cabin in the Taiga, where a father and son are drug addicts and rabies is rampant in the area, attacking the local wildlife. The rabies idea is fine and the infected wolves are great, they are aggressive and ferocious and the CGI isn't the worst. There are also cops and forest rangers mixed in, so there's definitely some body-count (bit of a shame the whole village isn't here, could have made for a decent massacre). There is some blood, a few shots are fine so it's nice that it's not PG-13, and there's a bear at the end, visibly quite digital (especially the movements), but it makes a mess and that counts. The atmosphere of the cold snowy setting is also interesting and the conversation between son and father dealing with drugs is quite powerful. Add more characters and action, and I wouldn't hesitate to give it a higher rating, but the film still deserves a chance, it's definitely worth seeing. 6.5/10. (10/22/2023)