Film Review – STEPPENWOLF: Intriguing Dystopian Drama Holds the Viewer’s Attention Throughout [Fantasia 2024]

Steppenwolf Review

Steppenwolf (2024) Film Review from the 28th Annual Fantasia International Film Festival, a movie directed by Adilkhan Yerzhanov and starring Anna Starchenko and Berik Aitzhanov.

Filmmaker Adilkhan Yerzhanov’s Kazakh film, Steppenwolf, is a dystopian drama that has plenty of dark themes which are interspersed into a story of a woman named Tamara (Anna Starchenko)’s search for her lost son, Timka. Tamara wanders through the violence that is occurring around her almost as if she’s invisible. That is until she meets a vulgar, violent criminal named Brayuk (Berik Aitzhanov). Brayuk, in every way, is the complete opposite of Tamara– he’s rude, he’s crude and he’s a psychopath. Tamara, in contrast, hardly speaks and is timid and afraid.

The story involves Brayuk’s attempt to help Tamara find Timka. There’s a fairly large sum of money involved in all this that would be rewarded if Timka is found. But, as another character in the film points out, Tamara probably doesn’t have those types of finances available. Steppenwolf is often dreary to watch but the movie commands the viewer’s attention thanks to the mysterious nature of a plot that leaves a lot of questions open to viewer interpretation but fulfills the audience members’ curiosity nevertheless.

Starchenko’s Tamara is almost like a ghost in terms of the way she appears throughout the film. She doesn’t get attacked amidst all the chaos and violence around her and she seems to be attached to Brayuk like his shadow. Brayuk is a murderer who is vicious and nasty. For a while, it’s hard to believe he’d even get involved with a meek soul like Tamara. Give the film the benefit of the doubt, though, because it’s an interesting exploration of a world where people are few and far between and it’s hard to know who to trust. One thing’s for certain: Brayuk doesn’t seem trustworthy at all but the movie has a surprise or two up its sleeve.

This film reminded me of a darker, more bleak version of Civil War which wasn’t too uplifting to begin with. The main characters drive around in search of a boy, Timka, who may be long gone. What motivates Brayuk remains a mystery although the money is always there as a motivation factor for why he does what he does. As played by Berik Aitzhanov, the character feels like someone Russell Crowe could have played in his earlier days as an actor. Any similarities between Crowe’s mannerisms and Aitzhanov’s are uncanny and certainly exist within scenes of this picture.

Steppenwolf moves along at a rapid pace but stumbles in terms of its plausibility factor. It’s hard to believe that Tamara still has hope after all the despair she witnesses throughout the course of the film and it’s even more difficult to believe she’d be willing to ride around with the vicious Brayuk. But, the film gets away with this story line by suggesting that Brayuk is her only hope to find her son. Eventually, the movie arrives at a place where the son may or may not be alive and audiences will be compelled to find out if Tamara will soon be reunited with her son.

There is much darkness to the overall nature of this picture. Brayuk asks Tamara to do something towards the end when a top finishes spinning but she reacts much sooner. Tamara, as a character, superbly develops over the course of the picture from weak and frail to strong and fiercely independent despite her reliance on Brayuk’s assistance for a large amount of the movie’s plot. The performance by Starchenko is admirable and she keeps the viewer riveted by her character’s persistence to exist in a world where all hope seems non-existent. Berik Aitzhanov holds his own in a flashier role where the actor gets to act violent and kill people but the murders all serve a distinct purpose in developing his character. We learn a bit about his past and soon understand why Brayuk has become the monster he has turned into. Aitzhanov also successfully transforms before the viewer’s eyes with a resolve that is disturbing but necessary to show the consequences of his actions.

A lot of Steppenwolf rides on its ending and it’s a satisfying one to be sure. Tamara has changed significantly and has found the answers she’s been looking for by the time the credits roll and Brayuk gets the justice that has long been awaiting him. This movie is, overall, an intriguingly fascinating movie that warrants a one-time viewing but due to the sadistic violence and the picture’s dramatic intensity, it’s not a film that would demand repeat viewings. Steppenwolf still stands as a picture about perseverance set in a time where there is little optimism. As far as dystopian movies go, this one has a bit more substance than your typical futuristic film and is worth seeking out.

Rating: 7/10

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