Really disappointing. First all the accents are atrocious. Look I know I'm not Russian so I don't know what the perfect Russian-accent English should sound like, nor do I think it's reasonable to ask that all these [American, British, Swedish, Australian, etc.] actors speak in Russian for the entirety of this film. But they could have at least all practiced together so that all of their terrible accents had some level of consistency. Just saying.
Second of all, this story is completely messed up in favor of a happy ending. The historical basis for the film, Soviet serial killer Andrei Chikalito aka The Butcher of Rostov aka the Red Ripper is fascinating and horrific. And it's such an interesting story as is, a tale of soviet idealism in the face of reality's brutal truths, that truly damaged and sick people can exist in any political/societal structure. Maybe what I actually wanted was more of a documentary. Or maybe something more along the lines of Zodiac, which acknowledges and allows you to feel the weight of time dragging down on our investigating protagonists. But this movie skips that in favor of establishing Tom Hardy as our war hero orphan who must fight the state's resistance to investigating the killings and his own exile from Moscow in order to crack the case. Spoiler alert: he does and ends up in a showdown with the killer who is executed by Hardy's political enemy/former fellow soldier. Hardy is then redeemed by a new commanding officer who brings him back to Moscow and lets him form a homicide division under the pretense that Russians who've been influenced by the west could have "poisoned hearts" and murder. It's a satisfying ending to the story they're trying to tell, I concede that, but not at all to anyone who knows the true history of the Chikalito's murders and the fact that he was not apprehended, accused, and executed for the many, many murders he committed starting in the 70's until the 90's.
But Gary Oldman is always welcome, regardless of the quality of his accent.
Tywin Lannister!
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