A DARK, DARK MAN
Kazakhstan 2019 Dir Adilkhan Yerzhanov 130 min
In rural Kazakhstan, an unprincipled detective is compelled to expose deeply engrained corruption following a boy’s murder in this brilliant film noir.
Bekzat is a violent, corrupt cop used to wrapping up cases quickly, regardless of whether or not a suspect is guilty. When a local boy is found murdered, a vulnerable suspect is put forward by his superiors and it looks like it will be business as usual. Then a journalist turns up, determined to ensure Bekzat follows the rule of law…
Adilkhan Yerzhanov’s moving, masterly thriller is a stunning noir laced with pitch-black comedy, with starkly beautiful set pieces from the opening shot. The acting is excellent, while the corrosive culture of intimidation and bribery, and the near-impossible challenges of overthrowing it, is superbly depicted.
1 April - 31 May 2021
Barbican Cinema On Demand
“A deliciously pessimistic testament, for those on its deliberate, low-frequency wavelength, to the power of an unapologetically auteurist, art-house approach to genre.”
