Reservation: A Gripping Dystopian Thriller

Hello everyone!

I recently started binge-watching a new series on Kion called 'Reservation' and I wanted to share my thoughts on it in this review.

General Info:

Genre:Drama, Thriller.Director:Alexey Andrianov.Country of origin:Russia.Number of episodes:8.Runtime:Approximately 45 minutes.Age restriction:16+.Official description from Kinopoisk:Based on Stanislav Gimalaev's fantasy novel 'The Principle of Symmetry'. A former police officer, Sergey, returns home - but home is gone. The neighborhood, cut off from the outside world by a mysterious anomaly, is now known as the reservation. In the reservation, there's no connection, no rules, and any attempt to leave ends in death. Hoping to uncover the mystery of the anomaly and rescue his loved ones from the trap, Sergey sneaks onto the closed territory. But is the anomaly the only thing standing in his way?About the Show:I'm still trying to wrap my head around the premise of this series. The main character, Sergey Nazarov, is a former cop who did five years in the slammer for a crime he didn't commit. Now that he's out, he's headed back to his hometown of Topolovo, where his family still lives. But when he arrives, he's in for a shock - the whole town has been transformed into some kind of bizarre anomaly. You can get in, but good luck getting out. I've seen some weird stuff in my time, but this takes the cake.

Sergey's not exactly thrilled about the situation, but he's willing to take a risk to save his family. Will he be able to figure out what's going on in Topolovo, and more importantly, get his wife and daughter out alive? You'll have to stick around to find out.

Main Characters:

Sergey Nazarov (played by Denis Shvedov)

I have to say, the main character's story really drew me in. He's a former investigator who spent five years in prison for a crime he didn't commit. After his release, he returns to his hometown, only to find that everything has changed. To make matters worse, he's terminally ill and doesn't have much time left.

Tina Nazarova (played by actress Ekaterina Volkova)

Tina, the main character's ex-wife, is a doctor working in a hospital in a restricted zone. She and her ex-husband had a messy breakup, and Tina still hasn't forgiven him for his infidelity. Now, she's living with someone else, but their relationship isn't bringing her the happiness she thought it would.

Boris Kalinin (played by actor Alexei Rozin)

Boris, Tina's new husband, is the head of a private security organization that keeps the peace in the restricted zone. He's not too thrilled about his ex-wife's return and is doing his best to cause trouble for her.

Semyon Posazhenov (actor Philipp Yankovsky)

I've got to admit, the character of the mayor of a special zone really caught my attention. I learned that Semyon Nazarov spent 5 years behind bars because of this guy. It's been 4 years since Semyon Posazhenov's daughter went missing, and he's still searching for her. He's hoping that Nazarov might be able to help him find his daughter.

Masha Nazarova (actress Polina Gukhman)

Masha is Semyon and Tina's daughter. She's a student, dating some shady guy, and she's still got a lot on her mind. Masha loved her dad, but after he got out of prison, she refused to talk to him. She's still pretty cold towards Boris too.

Filin (actor Nikolai Shrayber)

I've got to say, the character of Nazarov's partner is a real interesting one. He used to be Nazarov's best friend, but now he's been assigned to keep an eye on him. It's not as simple as it seems, though - he's probably involved in some shady dealings.

Jenya (played by Valeria Astapova)

Jenya is Nazarov's ex-lover, and she's got a pretty tough life. She works as a hairdresser, raising her son in secret - hardly anyone even knows he exists. She's got big dreams of getting out of this special zone, but it's a pretty pipe dream.

My Thoughts on the Show:

Genre, Plot DynamicsThis show has got a ton of different genres going on - drama, thriller, detective, a bit of sci-fi, some action, and of course, family and romance drama. There are so many plot threads going on, and I think everyone will find something they like: love triangles, gang wars, human experimentation, mystery, missing kids, romance, and even a bit of the supernatural.

I spent most of my screen time trying to figure out what's going on in the city, and it's all pretty mysterious. People live in their own weird world: no phone signal, food stamps, phone cards, markets like they used to be in the 90s, and clothes from the same era. Everyone just seems to be going through the motions, popping pills every day, and it's like they've given up on their lives. At first, I had no idea what was going on, so the mystery was pretty compelling.

The pacing of the story is pretty good. It doesn't drag on, and from the very first minutes, it's building up speed. There are no unnecessary conversations or scenes just to fill time. It's all pretty dynamic, at least in the first few episodes. It's engaging, there's a mystery, and the episodes fly by quickly without getting boring or annoying. I hope the show can keep up the pace and intrigue until the very end.

CastThe cast is pretty solid, with a bunch of recognizable faces, especially in the lead roles. You'll see Denis Shvedov, Ekaterina Volkova, Alexei Rozin, Philip Yankovskiy, Polina Gukhman, Nikolai Shrayber, Valeria Astapova, Olga Makeeva, Sergei Barkovskiy, Nikita Pavlenko, Timofey Kochnev on screen.

They all do a great job, each one fitting their role perfectly. The characters are super vivid and memorable, each with their own distinct personality and backstory. It's really interesting to watch them, and you can tell the actors put a lot of effort into creating these well-rounded, colorful characters.

Visuals, Locations, Operator WorkI'm really impressed with how the visuals were captured. Everything looks great to me. The image is clear, dark, and moody, but it suits the story perfectly. Plus, the whole screen is easy on the eyes - I didn't find myself straining to see anything.

The main setting - the town of Topolevo - is really unique. The three-meter-high fence, Soviet-era signs, and a quirky train where the locals live, including some pretty interesting characters, all add to the atmosphere. The space in the reservation and the show itself are really immersive, with every detail thought out and mysterious. It's hard to tell when the story takes place, as everything feels frozen in time.

One thing that really stood out to me was the unique locations used in the show. They're all set in a reservation, and most of them are super colorful: the characters' homes and apartments, markets and shops, the hospital, shipping containers converted into living spaces, some industrial areas set up as a police station, a barber shop, makeshift cafes, and the streets and alleys of this weird town. It's all really atmospheric, and the visuals even have a bit of a cyberpunk vibe. Overall, the show's got a clear win in the visual department.

The Verdict:

After watching the first few episodes, I'm hooked. I'm not sure if I'd give it a perfect score, but it definitely deserves 4 stars. I'd recommend giving it a try!

Thanks for checking out my review! I hope it was helpful and interesting for you.

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My reviews of other fall and winter releases:

Major Grom: Against All Rules

Three Men and a Baby

Full Compatibility

Landysh. Second Spring

Manunya. Childhood Ba

Love Me Again

Evening School

Tunnel