René Vilbre's Eesti matus, adapted from Andrus Kivirähk's beloved stage play, hits the screen carrying the legacy of two decades of theatre - and buckles under that weight. It's marketed as a culture-clash comedy full of family drama, but ends up feeling like a jumbled sketch show instead of a solid film.
The story has potential: Andres, a young Estonian man, brings his carefree Black girlfriend Lee to his grandfather's funeral, unintentionally throwing her into a mess of small-town oddities and old-school attitudes. This setup could have delivered sharp humour or touching insight, but the result feels aimless. Scenes jump around with little flow, making the film feel more like scattered moments than a complete story.
The acting is uneven. Markus Habakukk's Andres is grounded and relatable, while Sandra Ashilevi's Lee adds warmth and sincerity. Peeter Oja as Tiit and Ago Anderson as Karla handle most of the jokes - loud, physical, and crude - but their routines grow stale fast. The humour aims to reveal cultural quirks and biases, but often falls into stereotypes and surface-level jokes.
Visually and in tone, the film doesn't move far from its stage roots. It feels like a play filmed for TV, lacking the visual depth or cinematic energy. Some genuine emotion comes through - mostly in Merle Palmiste's subtle, heartfelt moments - but it's lost under the noisy chaos.
In the end, Eesti matus is a well-known cultural moment that doesn't quite work as a movie. Estonian audiences might see familiar faces and ideas, and maybe some viewers across the region will connect. But for most, it probably won't entertain or say much. Maybe worth a stream - no need to rush to the theater.
