I want to share my first impressions of two premieres among domestic series. In the midst of summer, two projects came out that raise acute social issues.⠀

On the Okko platform, the series "Fake" was released. At the center of the plot is a biology teacher Rita (Anastasia Krasovskaya), whose life is destroyed by the actions of an unknown cyberstalker: he publishes fabricated compromising material, blackmails, and gradually destroys all areas of the heroine's life — work, relationships with loved ones, trust in others.

The creators of the project — director Alexey Kuzmin-Tarasov and screenwriter Natalie Dubovaya — raise the topical issue of cyberstalking and digital security, showing how vulnerable personal life can be on the internet. The atmosphere of total distrust is convincingly maintained: under suspicion are the ex-boyfriend, colleagues, students, and even a friend. The first episodes intrigue and make you think about how easy it is to fake correspondence or video using modern technology. On the other hand, we have a fascinating detective story, whose solution you eagerly await.

A little earlier, the series "Cold" was released with Lyubov Aksyonova in the lead role — this is a modern female version of "The Count of Monte Cristo", transferred to Russian realities. According to the plot, fire inspector Zhenya Polotnikova loses her husband and daughter in a car accident caused by drunk rich kids, and then ends up in a colony on false charges — the influential father of one of the perpetrators shifts the blame onto her.⠀⠀⠀

It so happened that this year I read a diary-book about a girl's stay in a pre-trial detention center. And now I was interested to see how this topic is raised in cinema. Many in their reviews write that what they see on screen is physically painful, and that's true, I can also add that it is maximally authentic, creating a special atmosphere of the colony. After all, they filmed on a real abandoned territory.⠀⠀⠀

Director Alexey Kazakov builds the narrative without unnecessary haste, showing in detail how the system breaks a person and how a thirst for revenge is born in the heroine. Although there are some moments when the narrative line changes abruptly and large chunks seem to be omitted, like the trial of the main character. Although we can judge that this is like the moral state of Evgenia at that moment.⠀⠀ 

Aksyonova convincingly conveys the transformation of a woman going through loss, prison humiliations, and internal restructuring. As a result, the first episode holds attention and leaves the main question: will the heroine be able to preserve herself on the path to justice?