Diving into the Mind-Bending World of Topi - A Series That Will Leave You Guessing

Hello everyone!

I recently stumbled upon the Topi series, and I'm still trying to wrap my head around it. Ivan Yankovskiy's performance in Autosource blew me away, and I'm a little ashamed to admit that I hadn't seen much of his work before. But Topi has changed my mind - he's got incredible talent and charisma.

I'd already watched Fisher, which is probably the scariest and most brutal series I've seen in a while. If Yankovskiy hadn't been in it, I probably wouldn't have watched it, but now I'm hooked.

So, let's get to Topi. I'm amazed by how different opinions are on this film - it's probably the strangest and most ambiguous one I've seen. It reminded me of The Game of Survival, but at least that one had a clear plot and ending. This one, though, is so convoluted and bizarre that it might just drive you crazy trying to make sense of it.

Release Date: January 28, 2021

Genre: Thriller

Country: Russia

Director: Vladimir Mirzoev

Music: Ryan Otter

Quick Info:

I'll never forget the time I embarked on a journey with four other friends to the monastery in Topi, a remote village in Archangelsk Oblast. We were all in our early twenties, and we saw this trip as a chance to escape the stress of everyday life and find some freedom. But little did we know, this adventure would turn out to be a lot more than we bargained for.

Image 1 Our group consisted of five friends from Moscow who had all come together for different reasons. We were all looking for a break from the city, and the monastery in Topi seemed like the perfect place to get away from it all.

Image 2 One of my friends, Denis Titov, was a successful businessman who had founded a popular app called Trutok. But despite his outward success, he was struggling with a serious illness. He had a tumor in his brain that the doctors in Germany were unwilling to operate on, and he was at a loss for what to do. It was then that he came up with the idea of taking us on this trip to the monastery, hoping that it might bring him some kind of spiritual healing. But what he really wanted was to make his mother happy, who had been pushing him to take this trip for months.

I've got to say, I was pretty surprised by the events that unfolded. A journalist gets fired for some discrepancies in their work, and that's when Maxim Koltsov (Tikhon Zhiznevsky) decides to join this trip - not for the thrill of it, but to get closer to Denis and dig up some dirt on him and the Trutok app, which has caught the attention of the special services. Enter Katya (Ekaterina Shpiça), who's just been dumped by her boyfriend and is feeling hopeless. She tries to take her own life, but that doesn't work out, and since she's got nothing to lose, she joins this group of strangers on a whim.

Then there's Sofia (Anastasia Krylova), who's lost her way after her sister's passing and is at odds with her dad. She can't take the rules he's imposing on her, so when she sees Denis Titov's post about this trip on social media, she jumps at the chance to escape. We had to follow the rules for visiting this monastery, which stated that we had to be a group of four, but just as we were about to enter, Ela (Sofia Volodchinskaya) joined us. She was running away from her tyrannical fiancé, who was trying to force her into marriage, but just before that, she had committed a terrible crime by accident. To make things even more complicated, we found ourselves in the most mysterious and unpredictable place - the Topi village. The monastery of Spas Prognanie was abandoned and empty when we discovered it. And then, things started to happen that just didn't make any sense or follow any logic.Initially, even before we got to the monastery, we had a car accident, but the aftermath of it remains a total mystery.

I think the viewer is left with a choice to interpret the events in two different ways. Either we all died and the whole thing is just a product of our dying minds, or we're alive and the local water has some kind of hallucinogenic effect on us. Which one is the correct interpretation, though?

Walking into the station, I was immediately struck by the notice board filled with missing persons ads. It's a pretty sobering sight, and it sets the tone for what's to come.

And then, in a bizarre twist, one of the girls from the group goes missing on the very first night in the village. It's a real mystery, and it sets off a chain of events that's both unpredictable and downright weird. I mean, what happens to each of the participants is just plain crazy, and it's hard to make sense of it all.

What's going on in this isolated village? The village priest, who's trying to take his own life multiple times, but can't seem to go through with it. It's like he's being held back by his faith, but he's determined to follow through. What's driving him to such desperation? The people living here are weird and mysterious. The police officer, who's the only one in the whole area, raises a lot of suspicions. Who is he, and is he part of this 'system'?

To be honest, the storyline is really fuzzy and hard to follow. I thought that everything that's happening to the characters is just a series of unrelated events, but I guess that's not the case.It's wild to think about the internal struggles each character faces - their flaws, fears, and imperfections.

The one who's afraid of aging becomes a prisoner of their own thoughts.

Someone who craves pure and untainted love but is far from it gets warped imagination.

And the person who wants freedom ends up being a hostage to their situation.

As for going back, well, there's no turning back once you've moved forward.

But every time you add a new layer to what's happening with each character, and the entire cast, new theories start popping up.

Or maybe it's all just an illusion?

I'm walking the straight and narrow (It seems to you) Not that it's all that long (It seems to you) This is the road home (It seems to you) There's only one path (It seems to you)

Are you the hunter or the prey (Decide) Are you dead or risen (Breathe) Human or snake (Cain) Do you need me? (Master)

I have to admit, I was curious to learn more about the 'Master' everyone's been talking about. At first, I thought maybe it was a reference to God, given the show's exploration of religious themes. But as the story progressed, the Master started to feel more like the devil than a higher power.

But who is this Master, really? And what's the point of their actions?

Maybe the Master is just a metaphor for humanity's weaknesses and flaws that control us?

This village of Tapi could be some kind of isolated, otherworldly space - a purgatory between life and death. Or maybe it's a place where souls are purified, and only those who've made amends with their sins can escape. The question is, how do you find redemption when you're trapped in a place like this?

This show is one of the weirdest and most intriguing series I've ever seen. It's atmospheric, mystical, and completely unpredictable.

The director and cinematographer did an amazing job. The way it's shot is both terrifying and mesmerizing. Those close-up shots of the creepy crawlies are just plain disturbing. I mean, who wants to look at a giant worm up close?

The dolls with their heads ripped off are just plain bizarre.

The natural scenery is breathtaking, but at the same time, it's also oppressive and depressing.

I've got to give it up for the soundtrack - it's seriously on point. Aigle's got me hooked on this wild, mystical music that's 100% perfect for the show. How much holy water's in this cholera creek? How much canine cowardice in canine loyalty? What's this scale? - Both pans are endless My life's been broken And I can't do anything with it

The acting is top-notch, and everyone's in their right place. Janowsky steals the show with his incredible performance. These crazy roles are tailor-made for him, and his acting leaves me speechless.

In real life, Janowsky and Zhiznyevsky are actually the best of friends, so their on-screen chemistry is pretty undeniable. Despite the fact that their characters aren't exactly getting along, you can tell that they're genuinely enjoying each other's company.

I really enjoyed the series! I binge-watched all seven episodes in one go.

I'm a fan of stories with mystical and mysterious events. Can you really expect a logical ending from a show like this? I doubt it...

Maybe 'Topi' is just a crazy psychedelic ride that doesn't make any sense. Each viewer sees what they want to see...

After watching the series, I was left with a ton of questions about what's really going on. So, I went searching for answers online. I stumbled upon an article by Dmitry Glukhovsky, the writer behind the show, with his interpretations and explanations of the plot. Honestly, I was blown away by his creativity... It turns out he wove his own political views into the story. Who would've thought? I don't feel like digging into that, and I definitely don't want to comment on it.

I really enjoyed the series, but it would've been even better with the context the writer had in mind.

Topi Series Reviews Everyone sees what they want to see… Definitely worth a watch

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