Minotaur

It’s 2022 and Gleb, the ruthlessly opportunistic chief executive of a large Russian shipping firm, is asked to provide a list of young men in his employ for conscription into the army in advance of the imminent mass invasion of Ukraine. At home, Gleb’s strained relationship with his glamorous wife Galina sees him suspect that she is having an affair. An adaptation in the loosest sense, Zvyagintsev’s more caustic, chillingly glacial take on the story of marital breakdown feels distinctly his own; the domestic drama underscores the rot at the heart of the country’s institutions and the corruption coursing through the arteries of the political elite. It is a brilliant, meticulously crafted work, peppered with dark humour, striking compositions and more than a few of Zvyagintsev’s signature shock moments. Kimberley Sheehan, Lead Programmer A MUBI release. Screen: NFT4. Screening details: Audio description headset; English language subtitles; Descriptive subtitles (open captions).