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Now I have a personal love for period piece movies and animations. So when I found out that Sputnik takes place in cold war Soviet Russia, I immediately knew I was going to love this movie.
Sputnik is a Sci-fi Horror movie that sees the military recruit a controversial young doctor to examine the lone survivor of a mysterious space accident. However, Tatiana (the doctor), soon discovers that her patient, Konstantin Veshnyakov, has a dangerous alien parasite hiding in his body.
Story
One thing I love about Sputnik is how the film takes full advantage of the time and era.
During the Cold War, The Soviet Union used every facet of its society to project the image of a powerful nation. And thus, the country went to great lengths to hide any incident that could embarrass them on the international stage.
Sputnik brilliantly portrays this aspect of Soviet Russia and even shows the various steps the government took to hide the space accident.
But while Sputnik might seem like yet another throwaway sci-fi horror, the movie plays out like the perfect mix of a drama and an action thriller.
At its core, Sputnik is a story about trauma. And the film uses the story of its three protagonists, to show how traumatic experiences can either enhance or poison our world view.
In Tatiana’s case, we learn that she was once a neglected orphan. But thanks to the trauma she endured in the orphanage, Tatiana becomes a relentless doctor, who considers every life scared and would stop at nothing to help anyone in need. A trait that leads her to take rash but effective decisions.
This trait is also the reason Tatiana is drawn to Konstantin and his peculiar situation. Because, while she obviously cannot relate to being possessed by an alien, Tatiana knows what it feels like to be a weak position. And thus, throughout the movie, Tatiana tries to find a way to separate the cosmonaut from the alien parasite.
However, she soon discovers that the military has other plans.
Music And Acting
Movies often manipulate our emotions through background music and sounds. However, Sputnik takes this feat to a new level and uses its excellent score to toy with our feelings.
Sputnik’s entire soundtrack is the movie’s real gem. Each theme slips in at the perfect moment to either Elevate or add emotional depth to every scene. Even though I knew what was happening, I couldn’t help but smile or tear up whenever the movie’s theme ( composed by Music director Oleg Karpachev) came up.
But as good as the movie is, what makes the film even better is its cast.
Oksana Akinshina and Pyotr Fyodorov were both fantastic as Tatiana and Konstantin. Even Fedor Bondarchuk was terrific as the fearless head of the military base, Colonel Semiradov. However, the most impressive performance in Sputnik came from its extra-terrestrial visitor.
This quick and vicious creature drove the entire movie and was also responsible for many brutal scenes. However, what was most impressive about the Alien is how detailed it was in design and features.
While I expected an intimidating bloody thirsty creature, I never thought the Alien would look this realistic. And this speaks to the sheer amount of effort and talent behind this movie.
Verdict
Sputnik
Movie title: Sputnik
Review
While it might not look like much, Sputnik is a perfect blend of movie genres. Thanks to its fantastic cast and musical score, the film delivers a captivating story that proves to be far more entertaining than I expected.
Overall
4.4User Review
( votes)Pros
- Fantastic Acting
- Great Characters
- Great Storyline
- Awesome Soundtrack
Cons
- There’s No Reason to Skip
