Paranoia after this movie is scarier than the events in it - now I feel like we're all being listened to through our Alexa speakers.

I was starting to lose hope of finding a decent movie, and I was about to write off domestic cinema as a lost cause, when suddenly, something amazing happened!

Hello to all the good people on my review page!

The movie title is "Voice Assistant".

It was released on November 6, 2025, in Russia.

Genre: Thriller, Horror.

Country: Russia.

Duration: 104 minutes.

The movie poster didn't give me a clue about what to expect - it just looked like a matryoshka doll. Honestly, the design was pretty unimpressive.

DESCRIPTION:

A group of former classmates rents a country house to unwind, just like in the good old days. The modern chalet has everything for a comfortable and fun stay, including the smart speaker Alena. Alena knows how to entertain the guests. She can solve puzzles, control the house, and even knows all the secrets that their friends keep. The device invites the company to play a game of "Find the Killer" and figure out the circumstances of their best friend's death, which occurred less than a year ago.

I have to admit, I went into this movie with pretty low expectations - it's a relatively new release from 2025, and the title didn't exactly scream "thriller" to me. But when I saw "Voice Assistant" in the credits, I was worried it'd be some cheesy sci-fi nonsense. And let's be real, our local directors have a bit of a bad habit of copying Hollywood - nine times out of ten, it ends up being a disappointing "we wanted to make something like that" kind of movie. Sci-fi's a high-risk, high-reward genre, and it's not exactly cheap to produce. But boy, was I wrong. This movie's actually a masterfully crafted thriller with just the right amount of slasher and horror elements. It's not your typical sci-fi fare by a long shot.

The only real missteps are the beginning and the ending. The first 10 minutes dragged a bit for me - they're trying to build up the tension, but it feels like the actors aren't quite clicking. The group of friends heading out to the woods for a vacation just didn't feel like a cohesive group - it felt like a bunch of hired guns trying to pass themselves off as friends. But hey, sometimes a bad start can be salvaged by a strong finish, and that's exactly what happens here. Despite the lackluster beginning, the rest of the movie more than makes up for it.

I've gotta say, I wasn't familiar with most of the actors, except for one who somehow became a familiar face, but not in a good way – more like a 'I've seen you somewhere before' kind of guy. He's not a well-known actor, but you somehow recognize him from something, maybe a movie or a neighbor.

But within 15 minutes, the story and mysteries hook you so much that you can't look away from the screen. The script is hands-down the strongest aspect of this film. You start to overlook the wooden acting and the constant, emotionless face of one of the main characters, and other minor issues. You just want to know what's going on and who the killer is. They've got some real twists and turns, not unlike an Agatha Christie novel – minus the token black characters, of course.

The story follows a group of friends who are all former classmates, going on a weekend trip to a countryside house. At first, it seems like they're all just happy to be together, but it quickly becomes apparent that there's some underlying tension. It's like something out of the TV show 'Ellen and the Guys' – everyone's slept with everyone, or at least that's the impression. But it's not as simple as that. Both women are in love with the same guy, and to make matters worse, one of them is married to him, while the other is stuck with a lazy, unattractive guy named Romy.

What's weird is that as soon as they arrive at the house, viewers realize that one of the girls from their company recently died under mysterious circumstances, and another one of them just lost a child - a miscarriage. But they're all laughing and popping champagne like it's a party.

And then things get wild. In this high-tech smart house, there's a speaker named Alena. She's like a regular Alexa or Google Home, but in this movie, she's not just a chatty speaker - she's locked down the doors and now her top priority is figuring out who really killed their deceased friend. Along the way, she's also exposing the lowdown on every character.

I know it's not a psychological drama, but the movie still makes you think about this stuff. It raised some interesting questions for me:

I've been wondering, can you really be friends with an ex once you've broken up, or is true friendship even possible in that situation?Is a miscarriage during pregnancy just as tragic as losing a child who's already been born?Can women genuinely avoid feeling jealous of each other when they're together? The answer's a clear no!Are the Alexa speakers that are basically in every home capable of listening in and sending information to certain authorities? After watching this film, I found myself wanting to round up all the gadgets in my house, load them onto a raft, and send them off to the depths of the ocean. (Except for the washing machine, of course.) It's the paranoia that's been creeping in for a while now, and this film just fanned the flames. I'm all for digital detox, and this film made me realize just how much you can learn about a person by analyzing their search history.

This film definitely warrants an 18+ age rating, with some scenes being pretty graphic. Compared to those, the characters' existential crises and moral dilemmas seem like child's play.

Although the horrors of immorality that the column uncovers in the participants of these disturbing events are terrifying, they'll be scarier than a horror movie mashup. I guess it's different for everyone, and in this film, each person will find something to get their nerves tingling, whether it's the visuals or the disgusting human behavior.

To be honest, I didn't sympathize with any of the characters, and they're all pretty despicable, but it's paradoxically interesting to watch. And as usual, each character ends up being someone they're not by the end of the story.

I mentioned earlier that the ending and twist are weaker than the middle of the film. As for the finale, it's not bad, but it's unexpected. It's like you're eating a pierogi with strawberry filling, and then suddenly, you get a surprise - meat. This film is like that, too - it starts off on a fascinating, intriguing wave, and then it's like you're eating a pierogi with strawberry filling, only to find out it's actually got meat and blood inside. It's a weird, in-between cooking method.

The pacing is a bit slow, and the events unfold at a leisurely pace, but there's a certain atmosphere to it. It's worth starting to watch to get immersed and understand what I'm talking about.

One of the things that really got me about this film is the way it blends past and present. There are these occasional flashbacks that totally clarify what's going on, and they're like a breath of fresh air for the viewer who's desperately trying to keep track of who's who.

The visuals are top-notch, especially considering that 90% of the film takes place inside a single location. The opening shots of the forest and the scenery at the end are just mesmerizing. The camerawork is expertly done, and I've got to give credit to the operator - the dark scenes are handled really well, so you can actually see what's going on without having to guess from the sound effects.

I'd give this a solid 10 out of 10, but only if you're 18 or older. The film is engaging and well-made, and it's a breath of fresh air for Russian cinema. Plus, the theme is super relevant and thought-provoking, especially when you consider how some people are being forced to conform to the norm.

The way the film tackles these issues is really impressive, and it's definitely worth a watch.

I was really glad this thriller didn't overstay its welcome - I felt like I could've easily watched for another hour to wrap up the plot threads. I've got a few questions left unanswered, but that's just the nature of the genre. You can't expect to fully understand the motivations and backstories of every character in such a short time. Still, what we did see was enough to make me feel for the main character and understand just how pathetic he is. The things he does, even when it's not out of self-preservation, are just sad. It's great to finally see a thriller that's engaging and worth watching. I didn't think anyone could pull off a good one like this. I highly recommend it!