Kirill Serebrennikov in the film «Petrovs in the Flu» manages to combine Russian chthonic, vampires, and New Year trees, creating a fascinating and surprisingly funny movie.

On September 9, Petrovs in the Flu, the new film by Kirill Serebrennikov, enters wide release. It has already made waves in Cannes (the film's cinematographer, Vladislav Opelyants, was awarded the Technical Commission Prize (Prix CTS), a feat not accomplished by our compatriots since 1958, when the creators of The Cranes Are Flying won the award). Now everyone will have a chance to see how the director and his team managed to adapt the challenging literary source by Alexei Salnikov. We tell you what to expect from the film and why, despite all its grimness and creepiness, it turned out universal and funny.

Flu, New Year, and Feverish Fantasies

At the center of the story is the Petrov family: the father, an auto mechanic (Semyon Serzin, who made a striking film directing debut last year), the mother, a librarian (Chulpan Khamatova), and their son (Vladislav Semiletkov). All of them come down with the flu on the eve of New Year, plunging the characters—and the viewers along with them—into a feverish state on the brink of madness, at the intersection of reality and fiction.

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The film lacks linearity and a clear narrative structure. It is a mad kaleidoscope of chance encounters and events, flashbacks from the Soviet era, and surreal vignettes about vampires and aliens, horror and domestic drama. In one episode, characters may drink vodka straight from the bottle while discussing politics; in another scene, they talk about the impossibility of an artist becoming famous during their lifetime; and in a third, they have sex in a library accompanied by bard songs from a literary circle. Rarely in the story can one easily distinguish reality from the sick Petrovs' fantasies—and who knows where the truth really lies.

Empathy, Russian Chthonic, and… Humor

It’s no accident that the main characters of the film «Petrovs in the Flu» were not given names. This shortens the distance between them and the people on this side of the screen. It provides more opportunities for empathy and, at certain moments, even allows one to look at the screen as if into a mirror. Kirill Serebrennikov is remarkably accurate in recreating the portrait of the Russian person beyond time and epoch (although the events formally take place in the early 2000s) and that very 'chthonic' quality that has recently received increasing attention (think of the series or stand-up performances by Sergei Orlov).

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Cheap Christmas trees with costumed Father Frost and Snow Maiden, tram and trolleybus rides with colorful characters, conversations about universal injustice somewhere in a garage—in all this, one can easily recognize the reality around us and episodes from the recent past. Therefore, one can confidently say that «Petrovs in the Flu» is a film that only Russians will fully understand.

The overall grimness and brutality (be prepared for violent and extremely realistic murders) should not be misleading. «Petrovs in the Flu» is by no means bleak. There is room for lyricism, dreaminess, and faith in a bright future. The events are seasoned with riotously funny lines that could easily become catchphrases. And in one of the most vivid scenes—a literary circle meeting—it is simply impossible to hold back laughter.

The humor is further enhanced by Easter eggs scattered here and there by Serebrennikov: from inscriptions on walls to book spines on library shelves. Therefore, we recommend watching closely everything that appears on screen. Every detail here is intentional.

A Visual Language Like No Other

One cannot fail to mention the outstanding work of cinematographer Vladislav Opelyants. The film «Petrovs in the Flu» is a true triumph for this master, who also shot the previous two films by Kirill Serebrennikov. He spins the viewer in a mad dance, alternating long episodes shot in one take with quiet domestic scenes from a child’s perspective. He fills the frame with neon as if John Wick or the Driver from «Drive» might appear at any moment. He leads the viewer by the hand into a local Narnia, yet he does not even need a wardrobe, so smooth and unexpected are the transitions from reality to the Petrovs' feverish trip and back.

In the Western press, there are opinions that thanks to its visual language, «Petrovs in the Flu» could be called the evil twin brother of «Amélie». And you know, there is something to that comparison. The same lightness, inventiveness, and unpredictability. The same cinematic quality and visual richness. It’s just that the airy, lighthearted atmosphere is replaced here by rides in a hearse and lots of varied murders.

Should You Watch the Film «Petrovs in the Flu»?

That question doesn't even arise if you want to see one of the year's main films in person. And not just in domestic cinema. Armed with Alexei Salnikov's text—rich in details and thoughts—Kirill Serebrennikov has made a beautiful phantasmagoria at the heart of which lie the spirit and nature of the Russian person. In all their manifestations: unseemly and attractive.

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