Director of the new Russian horror film “Syndrome” Vyacheslav Rudenko used the common clichés of the genre but placed them in a St. Petersburg setting. There was no gore, but it turned out eerie and atmospheric.

On February 17, the film “Syndrome” hits the big screen, another attempt by young Russian filmmakers to create a horror movie in the best traditions of American youth films. Classic jump scares, colorful and varied deaths, an intriguing concept. But did it all come together into a coherent and truly interesting movie?

Interesting Concept

St. Petersburg is shaken by a series of mysterious suicides. According to friends and relatives, each deceased spoke of a certain man in white before their death. What seems even stranger is that similar events had already occurred 5 years earlier. These deaths bring together young people — Egor (Ilya Korobko), Karina (Daria Melnikova), and her brother Bogdan (Timofey Dashuk) — who try to understand what is happening, as it has affected their families.

According to the plot, the heroes, like seasoned detectives, piece together information bit by bit to get to the bottom of the seemingly unrelated suicides. As if by magic, they manage this without visible difficulty: investigative files with clues suddenly appear at hand (Egor’s father worked in law enforcement before his disappearance), and they are let into a psychiatric hospital without any paperwork (for Russia, this seems like a greater miracle than the supernatural underpinnings of the events).

But hardly anyone seriously intends to view “Syndrome” as an example of thoughtful and detailed storytelling. Such films are watched for bread and circuses! In this regard, the work of Vyacheslav Rudenko is not exactly in perfect order, but at the concept level, the film looks intriguing.

The mysterious man in white does not appear before the suicides for no reason. He tells them exactly how they should take their own lives. If not for the film’s frankly modest budget, this could have looked very, very impressive. But even with minimal resources, the team managed to achieve a sometimes quite eerie effect.

Oppressive Emptiness Within

If the concept of the film “Syndrome” is more or less fine, then its content is far from rosy. Modern horror can be roughly divided into two directions: pure fun, entertainment (“Happy Death Day” as an example) and films with a high concept and metaphorical story (like the works of Ari Aster, Jordan Peele, and their ilk).

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Open material

The new Russian horror film stopped somewhere in the middle. At the same time, for a conceptual story, Rudenko’s film lacks metaphors and subtext (even the transmission of the “syndrome” could have been played out more interestingly, as in the same It Follows, rather than leaving it to the mercy of all-powerful randomness). And as entertainment for one evening, “Syndrome” turned out to be too serious and even oppressive due to the overall gloom and atmosphere of hopelessness. After all, St. Petersburg is not a place for the faint of heart.

Is the Film “Syndrome” Worth Watching?

Possessing a rather interesting idea of scaring the viewer and a colorful St. Petersburg setting that practically begs to be used in horror, “Syndrome” does not make the best use of its potential. The story does not surprise. The authors have essentially nothing to say. And due to the overly strained atmosphere, it doesn’t quite manage to entertain. However, there are no complaints about the main actors. Ilya Korobko and especially Daria Melnikova organically embody the images of not the most far-sighted but brave young people. And thank God the film avoids the obligatory romantic vulgarity in such cases.

If such premises seem like a great reason to tickle your nerves, then watch “Syndrome” in theaters starting February 17.

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