Sputnik (2020) 

 Horror movies are such a derivative medium nowadays. We get a truckload of horror films each year that offer little to no originality whatsoever. These movies try to grab a familiar premise and add a few things to distinguish themselves but come off as derivative, predictable, and just downright unoriginal. However, along comes a film that takes a familiar concept and elements to rework them into a different movie. This film succeeds at putting its spin and turns out to be surprisingly good, with enough differences to avoid falling into the pitfalls of clichés, and stands out on its own to be its own thing.  

  Sputnik is one of the best horror films I have seen this year, perhaps the best one I've seen since Leigh Whannell's excellent reimagining of The Invisible Man. I give such a bold statement because I believe the horror season of 2020 so far has been an embarrassment. The offerings I've seen so far have been downright insulting, ranging from inept attempts at filmmaking (The Grudge, The Turning) uninspired, lazy offerings (Brahms: The Boy II, Fantasy Island) to forgettable affairs that may have had some potential, but didn't fully deliver on what they had promised (Gretel & Hansel, Underwater).

  I admit that I haven't seen all that 2020 has to offer in the horror department since the COVID 19 pandemic struck with sledgehammer force and forced everything into lockdown and everyone to stay in their homes to prevent the spreading of the virus. Since I was in quarantine in my house as the rest of the world, I took the time to watch a couple of movies I might have missed out on when they were in theaters. I searched the web to see if I could find something decent to watch to wash away the doldrums the 2020 horror season has brought down on us. 

   I eventually came across Sputnik, a Russian sci-fi horror monster film that looked like a Soviet version of Ridley Scott's Alien (1979), judging by the trailer I watched. I was nevertheless intrigued by what they would do with the concept. Taking place in the Soviet Union during the final years of the Cold War in 1983, the film stars Oksana Akinshina as Tatyana Klimova, a physician summoned by the Soviet military to examine Konstantin (Pyotr Fyodorov), a cosmonaut who survived a botched landing and is the only survivor. He is brought over to a secluded military facility, which is spearheaded by Colonel Semiradov (Fedor Bondarchuk), where Tatyana is sent to figure out what is wrong with him. It later becomes clear Konstantin has unwittingly brought a third passenger with him. 

  Since my expectations for this movie weren't exactly high, I gave it a watch to see if it was the saving grace to a lackluster horror season. To my surprise, Sputnik turned out to be a surprisingly good sci-fi horror film, taking a familiar concept and add a couple of its characteristics to make it stand out. I loved how the film ignores the typical futuristic setting seen in most sci-fi films, going for a more grounded and realistic approach. It takes place entirely in a military facility secluded and isolated from any city, greatly enhanced by its gray, cold, and stripped-down look. I feel this gave the film a unique atmosphere, having a strong feeling of isolation and uneasiness, reminding me of the space station in Andrei Tarkovsky's Solaris. 

  Sputnik's cinematography, done by Maxim Zhukov, looks fantastic, which is impressive since this is his first foray into big film production. It resembles a big-budget Hollywood production, which is quite the feat given that it has a budget that roughly translates to $2.6 million (190 million rubles). It's slick, consistent, and it keeps the film going. It kept me immersed and interested, never feeling dull at any moment. It kept me engaged throughout the movie until the credits rolled. The production values are also terrific. Mariya Slavina did a fantastic job, which I find surprising since this is her first credit as a production designer in big-name film production. I loved the overall look of the film, ignoring the retrofuturistic look of most sci-fi horror films and instead go for an 80s Cold War-era Russia. 

 

  Every sci-fi horror film has its compelling protagonist, whether average jane or joe turns into a heroic force like Ellen Ripley and Sarah Connor. Other notable examples include Richard B. Riddick, Han Solo, and Furiosa. Sputnik gives us a compelling protagonist in the form of Tatyana Klimova (Oksana Akinshina), a physician who is not afraid to use unprecedented or controversial methods to solve seemingly impossible problems. She doesn't have to use weapons to solve these issues but instead uses her intellect to find a possible solution to overcome the obstacle. She stands out from other sci-fi horror protagonists, offering a slow burn film with an excellent blend of drama to bring emotion and complexity to a genre that has become stale and uninteresting over the years. 

  

  Opposite the main character is the antagonist, Colonel Semidarov (Fedor Bondarchuk), the man in charge of the investigation of Konstantin's situation. Bondarchuk's performance is adequately evil, never bordering on being cartoonish or over-the-top. He makes sure Konstantin remains under his custody and is not afraid to kill others or endanger lives to succeed in his goals. He is a villain with understandable motives, justifying his actions to perform his deeds in the name of the Soviet Union. He is a better villain than Carlton Drake from Venom, who came off as a lousy wimp with no reasonable motive other than "The world deserves to die," and nothing else.

  Much like the main character, every sci-fi horror movie is set apart by its monster. Sputnik gives us a unique alien creature who seems to be a unique mix between a xenomorph, a symbiote, and a bigfin squid. It shares these similarities due to its parasitic nature as it lives inside the esophagus of Konstantin and only emerges from its host during the nighttime. Unlike the xenomorph, it doesn't kill his host but instead develops a perfect symbiotic relationship with his host, similar to the symbiote from Marvel Comic's Venom. Speaking of Venom, the creature heals Konstantin from grave injuries and feels every emotion and thought his host experiences in exchange for inhabiting his body. 

  Another unique detail of this creature is how he obtains sustenance. He presents himself to his unlucky victims, making them fearful before killing them in multiple horrific ways to consume them. I honestly loved the design of the alien creature, adding the scare factor of being mysterious. But what scared me the most about this alien is how we don't know much about it. We don't know if it's an adult, how it can reproduce, or where it came from in space. Its behavior and mannerisms are intriguing to observe, acting like a curious child in one scene to a murderous alien monster in the next scene. Director Egor Abramenko succeeds in reminding us how dangerous it is, given his small size, allowing him to be fast and agile and kill an entire squad of soldiers. We only see the creature appear in four or five scenes, but it's better that way since it makes it more mysterious and intriguing to the audience. 

  Aside from excellent visual effects and gory thrills, Sputnik gives us compelling characters, ones that aren't walking cliches or disposable pieces of cardboard to get killed later on but are generally well developed and properly characterized, thanks to a tight and cohesive script by Oleg Malovichko and Andrei Zolotarev. The script also gives us an intriguing take on a familiar concept, adding complexity and drama to great effect; as we see with the developing dynamic between Tatyana and Konstantin. We see how their interactions progress as the film goes on, going from unfriendly and bitter to cooperative and affable. It humanizes Konstantine in a way where the audience empathizes with him, as he is a man doomed to carry a dangerous alien monster for the rest of his life.  

  I honestly thought this movie felt more like a Russian version of Venom, except the difference here is Sputnik has better characters, a well-written script, and terrifying thrills. It differs from the disappointing travesty that was the Tom Hardy flick. Another detail that the film got right was living up to its R-rating. Sputnik has some nasty scenes of body horror and brief but gruesome deaths inflicted by the creature, and the special effects for the alien and the gore are well done. It makes me optimistic to see more R-rated sci-fi horror flicks with an excellent balance of gory thrills with complexity and drama. 

  Sputnik pays tribute to creature-feature sci-fi horror films like Ridley Scott's Alien (1979) by adding intelligence and depth to the genre. It gives us an even balance of character development, drama, intellectuality, body horror, and gory thrills. The film proves there's more to be done with a genre oversaturated by cheap clones, taking a familiar premise and adding its spin to stand out among a sea of mediocre knock-offs. It's a well-shot, superbly written, tightly directed film that keeps you immersed in its world up until the credits roll. 

 

 

 [I originally wrote this movie review on September 14, 2020, but I never published it due to reasons I will not state. Your views and comments are much appreciated,  fellow reader. I will see you in another review of The Meaning of J.]

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