I've got to say, Russian cinema's still got a chance to turn things around.
Take the recent release of the mysterious series 'Bar 'One Call' - it's definitely worth checking out.
I just watched the new premiere, the series 'Comeback', and it's definitely worth paying attention to.
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Release year - 2025 (1 season - 8 episodes)
Platform - Kinopoisk
Country - Russia
Genre - drama, thriller
Episode length - 43 minutes
Age rating - 18+
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Plot.
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Lower Volga, early 2000s. Mobile phones only had calls and Snake, kids were swinging on swings to Delphine and Hi-Fi, and the wealthy were often linked to crime. Three school friends - Yuri, Pta, and Oleg - decided to help their classmate Dasha, but ended up getting into serious trouble instead.
And then, out of nowhere, they were saved by a homeless guy known as Compote. He's wandering around looking for work, gets fed in the school canteen, and has no memory of his past - one day he just woke up after suffering severe injuries. The kids realize this guy saved their lives, and now they want to uncover the mystery of Compote and help him regain his true self.
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The series drops us into the not-so-distant past from the very first frames - or at least, it feels that way. Although, who knows, maybe it really is a distant past, 20 years ago.
The director nails the vibe of that time period. Watching TV shows like 'Windows' and 'Wait for Me', 'The Last Hero' with Bodrov, and the first 'Star Factory' really transported me back.
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I have to admit, sometimes it felt like they took a lot of inspiration from the 90s. Honestly, I don't remember there being such a level of crime and gang activity in the 2000s.
But despite that, the atmosphere of the show really drew me in.
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Actors and roles.The four friends, four classmates who've been friends since the first grade, and who somehow got themselves into trouble.
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Oleg (Grigory Stolbov).
Oleg's a botanist who often gets bullied by the local thugs. Plus, he's under his mother's total control.
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Ptah (Hetag Khinchagov).
He lives by the rules his father, a convict, taught him. He's a good guy, but he's also learned that kindness is a weakness.
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I've got to give it up for the actor Hetag Khinchagov - he really impressed me. I think he's got a bright future ahead of him. He definitely stands out from his co-stars in the series.
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Jura (Illiariy Marov).
This guy's got a tough time at home. His dad's a cop, his mom's a business owner, and they're always busy. Jura just wants to spend time with them, but he's also worried that his friends only hang out with him because of his family's money.
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Dasha (Vasiliy Korostyshevskaya).
Dasha's a feisty one - she wants to be a photographer, but she's got a tough home life. She's got to hide money from her mom, who's always bringing weird people home.
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Homeless guy, aka Compote (Alexander Petrov)
I've got to say, this actor doesn't leave much of an impression. I mean, a few years ago, he was found on the street with a gunshot wound to the head, and doctors managed to patch him up, but his memory never came back.
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But sometimes, fragments of his past will flash back to him, and he'll remember some of the fighting moves he must have learned somewhere.
Alexander Petrov is probably most familiar to me from the TV series 'Police with Rublevka.' That role brought him fame and success, but unfortunately, in many of his subsequent characters, I didn't see that same 'Police with Rublevka' guy.
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Here, though, it's different. Petrov is incredibly convincing in his role. His character is interesting, evokes sympathy, and I'm definitely curious to learn more about his backstory.
This is definitely a complex material, and Petrov handles it well.
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I didn't get the feeling that I was watching Petrov on screen, but rather a complex and intriguing character. I think this is one of the best and most complex roles Alexander Petrov has taken on.
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And then these five characters are thrown together.
Although what could possibly tie four high school students and a homeless guy together?
By a twist of fate, Compt helps the kids out, and they decide to return the favor by helping him figure out who he really is.
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I've got to say, the characters are pretty well-developed. Each one has their own problems, backstory, and it's not just a bunch of cookie-cutter heroes – these are relatable teenagers with their own dreams and tough lives.
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Although the main genre is listed as a thriller, the beginning feels more like a coming-of-age drama.
The kids are struggling to get by on the streets, and in school, there are conflicts galore, but as soon as they get home, it's clear that things aren't all sunshine and rainbows there either.
Many of them have alcoholic parents, and the kids are pretty much left to fend for themselves.
In that sense, Ptahta and Dasha's story really tugs at the heartstrings. It seems like their lives are already predetermined with such parents, but the kids refuse to give up hope for a better future.
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Don't get discouraged if you think it's just a bunch of kids struggling at first – the story takes a dramatic turn later on. Secrets start to surface, and the more the characters get entangled in them, the more engaging the narrative becomes.
I've only seen three episodes so far, but I'm already hooked. The show's definitely worth checking out.
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I love how the director sets the tone from the very first frames - you can feel the tension building up. It's not rushed, but it's definitely got me on edge.
There are these little flashbacks to Compt's past that just make me want to know more about what happened to him.
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'Comeback' is a solid show that blends drama, coming-of-age, thriller, and detective elements perfectly.
What really stood out to me were the characters. They're not your typical, cookie-cutter heroes - they're real people that you actually care about.The acting is top-notch. I mean, all the actors deliver, but Petrov deserves a special mention. He nailed this tough role.The vibe of the movie The storyline is interesting. The story is definitely engaging, and I found myself wanting to keep watching until the very end. Fingers crossed the ending doesn't ruin the great start.xa0
I'd definitely recommend checking out the series 'Comeback', and after the first few episodes, I'm giving it a perfect score.
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Fun fact:
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'Kuznetsovy TV' - a mix of Kardashians and Vornikovs. The dirty laundry of a family from Balashikha is being aired for the whole country to see. When are they going to bring the laughs?
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