Devyataya

I have recently discovered some interesting Russian horror movies such as: ´The devil's pass´, 'Queen of spades', or 'The ninth', and, despite of the fact that I did not expect them to be good, to my surprise, not only did I like them very much but also they turned out to be as good as the American ones. One of these is, 'The ninth' directed by Nicholay Khomeki and starred by Evgeniy Tsyganov and Daisy Head.

The plot is quite simple although it caught my eyes from the very beginning. The action takes place in Saint Petersburgh, where a series of brutal crimes and mutilations against women are committed. As a result of this, a detective called Sergey Rostov, played by Evgeniy Tsyganov, is sent there to solve out the crimes and to arrest the killer. With the help of an English medium, Olivia Reed (Daisy Head), he will go in search of the murderer.

Apart from the plot, one of the main reasons to watch it is the extraordinary performances of the main actors: the Moscow born actor Evgeniy Tsyganov and the English actress Daisy Head. I had never seen Russian actors on a film before so I was absolutely delighted by the outstanding performance of Evgeniy as detective Rostov. An example of his versatility as an actor is the scene where he remembers the death of his wife, he is utterly expressive and convincing. In addition to this I would say that he does not have anything to envy to handsome American or European actors, he is as handsome as them. He should be taken into account to act in European and American productions. The female role is played by the English artist Daisy Head, who is quite good as Olivia Reed.

Another positive point is the gothic atmposphere of the Saint Petersburgh streets. It reminds me of the London streets where Jack the ripper used to kill and mutilate his victims. The staging is brilliant and the music is also a little bit scary.

To sum up, I highly recommend everybody to watch it. They will not be disappointed at all and they will find that there are also good horror films in Russia.

BUT... there is more to it...

Firstly, the synopsis given here on IMDB is a good introduction and will give you a good idea as to the story. Secondly, this movie looks BEAUTIFUL! The cinematography, architecture, and settings are breathtaking and the picture quality is truly stunning.

Now, don't let the first 5 minutes or so throw you... For some reason I kind of got the feel that the very beginning and setup of the story was just a TAD on the cheeeeezy side and might look a bit contrived. BUT, don't let that fool you. After the story commences with the woman giving her performance in Russia, the look, feel, and mood of the film really take off.

This is an excellent 'Old School' Horror story brought to the screen in a very visually striking way, and told with a nice, Old World flair, AND in Russian! (with some English throughout) That gives it an even more otherworldly, almost Victorian air, but in a Russian way, sort of like the movies about Jack the Ripper set at that time ('FROM HELL' for example)

I truly could not get over the amazing visual style of the film. The intricacies of the buildings, and streets, and settings were SO damn detailed and stunningly photographed, that you cannot be helped but to be swept up in the time period. Like I mentioned, after the first shaky 5 minutes or so, the story really begins to even out and draw you into the search for this seeming serial killer who is mutilating and doing some kind of strange ritual with the bodies. But, as the story goes on, you find out that there is a lot more to it...

The acting is very good, interestingly contrasting the English speaking people with the Russian ones. But they all blend very well. I mean, you would frigg'n SWEAR that there was a ton of money involved in the making of this movie, at least they sure made it look that way. This film has a flavour that closely resembles the excellent Roman Polanski film 'THE NINTH GATE' (coincidentally with a similar title - and also starring Johnny Depp as in 'FROM HELL') The visuals are SO detailed that they ALMOST tip over into Fantasy, sort of with just a touch of Tim Burton's look, but not quite. They still are strikingly 'Real' and quite immersive. I don't know if they actually filmed this around Russia, but with all the gorgeous Gothic statues and Gargoyles and such, it sure LOOKS very authentic.

So, it is an 'Old School' Horror story told in a beautifully realized way with a very involving and entertaining story and with a very, very moody and atmospheric tone throughout. I would say that if you like Old School Horror stories but with a Gothic, Russian twist, and you don't mind reading some subtitles, I think you might really find this beautifully crafted film entertaining.

I am a big fan of Russian cinematography but I need to say I don't like when they try to copy Hollywood blockbusters,in this movie you have a combination of Penny Dreadful,Peaky Blinders,Sherlock Holmes.......but why,be original and don't copy the Hollywood ! The movie is not bad and you can kill time watching it but all the time you will have the feeling of Déjà-vu !

An interesting movie about serial killing. A movie that combines the efforts of the police and a medium. The latter was not or did not intend to help, but you know how it is ... at first you have to and then you want to. Wait that sounded differently than I meant it to sound. But I think you know the point I was trying to make.

If you like horror thrillers, that do show grizzly details (so not for the faint hearted), then you may have some fun with this. It's not perfect by a long shot, but it is decent overall. With a story that is able to hold your attention until the end.

'The Ninth' appear to be supernatural, but it is actually a very plausible mystery thriller - with a difference. The director carefully kept the 'supernatural' elements very subtle. I also enjoyed the setting in the 19th Century, making everything more believable.

This is a classic who dunnit murder mystery thriller. The killings are a bit graphic, as the killer mutilates each victim according to images from a book. However, the film never becomes bloody or gory. A medium helps the police, and discovers the killings are part of a ritual, and linked to her past.

'The Ninth' is visually stunning with crisp clear photography and wonderful visuals and cinematography. The actors also did a great job - especially Evgeniy Tsyganov as Detective Rostov, whom I really enjoyed in this role. 'The Ninth' was better than expected, and kept me guessing until the end. Very good indeed.