PopHorror Let's Get Scared
Lado Kvataniya’s The Execution had its world premiere at Fantastic Fest 2021 tonight and I had the opportunity to check it out. This Russian crime thriller stars Niko Tavadze, Daniil Spivakovsky, Yulia Snigir, Evgeniy Tkachuk, Aglaya Tarasova, and Victoria Tolstoganova. It was produced by Ilya Stewart.
Synopsis for The Execution
For more than 10 years, Russian police forces have tried to stop the country’s smartest and most wanted serial killer. But even when he gets caught, nobody can prove his guilt. As the manhunt intensifies, the investigation grows increasingly personal between the detective and the suspect.
I love crime mystery thrillers, so I knew The Execution would be right up my alley. It reminded me of a mix between 1995’s Seven and 2007’s Zodiac. The film goes back in forth between different years throughout a 10 years span, showing the relationship between different characters and helping connect everything. The story has a slow build, taking its time telling the story which is layered with suspicious characters, horrific deaths, an unknown killer on the loose, and twists and turns lurking around every corner. The Execution keeps the viewer at the edge of their seat the whole runtime.
All of the performances were fantastic, power, and emotionally driven. They helped bring the story to life and make the viewer hunger for justice. Everyone wants to find out the truth, stop the killer, and some will even go to great lengths to seek revenge.
The cinematography and visuals are rich and beautifully detailed, which helps the viewer feel like they’re part of the story. It’s almost as if you’ve stepped right into this bleek, dark, and the hopeless world with a murder on the loose and we’re helping put an end to it all. At times, The Execution was rather graphic with torture, blood, and gore, which was to be expected. The special effects were amazing, though.
So far, The Execution has been one of my favorite films to view for Fantastic Fest. I think The Execution will become a huge hit and receive positive feedback during the festival circuit. It’s one of those films that are horrific, a true life nightmare, but also incredibly poweful and stays with you for a long time.
