Zavod

Yuri Bykov's film put me in a much better mood after Andrei Tarkovsky had done a number on me. It certainly didn’t get so philosophical (just a little), and what I got instead was an interesting and decently filmed story. I didn't get bored even for a second, and the film made me feel good despite its gloomy atmosphere. (04.01.2021)

Yuri Bykov serves up a decent dramatic thriller and the Russians score plus points. The story is about factory workers who have not been paid for three months and decide to kidnap and rob their boss, but the boss of the factory is an influential man who has dangerous people working for him and this complicates the whole situation. The film more or less takes place in one factory with several characters whose relationships will constantly change, secrets will float to the surface and there will be one perfectly realistic shootout. Apart from the acting performances, I also praise the smart dialogue. 75%. (19.09.2019)

I guess I didn't quite get the ending, but I wasn't bored for a minute and I could take some life truths away with me. For example, I found the polemic that justice does not exist to be apt and more than appropriate in the social context of the movie. As a whole, it was really depressing and yet sufficiently suspenseful, musically sophisticated and quite unpredictable in terms of plot. Which are certainly compelling reasons for my great satisfaction with this movie. (80%) (15.03.2022)

Criticism of the system, non-criticism of the system, as soon as I see people in balaclavas with AKs in their hands standing around in dank factories and devastated plains, I get a terrible S.T.A.L.K.E.R. video game vibe. Otherwise, actually, like Bykov's previous The Fool, this feels like a perfect debut in the many ways it wants to scream about some injustice in the world without forgiving itself for various genre shortcuts, artifacts, or even action scenes. The Factory feels less mature than The Fool, in some ways written by an enthusiastic child's hand, but it's also clear that its owner is someone who watches contemporary films and can thus spin some of the clichés on offer. From that perspective, it's such a synergistic joy to watch. However much the film tries to be bleak and oppressive. (27.11.2019)

Jurij Bykov once again points out the corrupted nature of Russia, but also the necessity of the existence of social classes (because society simply cannot function in any other way). And as he wants to agree with several parties, using a sophisticated constellation of characters while at the same time being too literal (the film is pure mainstream), the distribution of audience sympathies among the players of this murderous game stutters at the end and feels more confused. However, thanks to its unpredictable development and quality technical aspect, Bykov’s film is still highly enjoyable. [Helsinki IFF] (29.09.2019)