A grim tale of a dark subject.

Rating: 7/10 (2 August 2017)

Set in Stalin's post-war Soviet Union, this story of serial child killings runs parallel with that of the strained relations between Hardy and Rapace's lead characters, Leo and Raisa. In Moscow, the discovery of a friend's son's body and the state's denial of such crimes and subsequent cover up provoke something in Leo. He uses his powers as a senior Soviet police officer to pursue the perpetrator, against orders. This, combined with an embarrassing clash with a fellow comrade sees him stripped of rank and dispatched to a dystopian, remote industrial town as punishment. Dismissed from her teaching job, Raisa goes with him. As forces conspire against Leo, they must make a stand together. So, a different town but yet, another murder. What is their connection? Desperate to find answers, especially for his friend, Leo must persuade the local police chief that there is a connection between here and Moscow, where his case started. This film depicts the daily grind and harshness endured by the Soviet people together with the political paranoia prevalent during this era. All of this portrayed convincingly by a quality cast.