This gruesome Russian sci-fi horror photo does not take its title from the famous satellite launched by the Soviet Union in 1957. He refers instead to the literal meaning of the word, which translates into English as “companion.”
Directed by Egor Abramenko from a script by Oleg Malovichko and Andrei Zolotarev, the film is set in 1983, and opens with two astronauts in a Soviet space capsule preparing to return to Earth. From the frost outside his small window to the array of analog controls, the detail is believable, and when something goes wrong, there is palpable tension, then terror, then a crash.
The only survivor, Konstantin (Pyotr Fyodorov), is sequestrated at a remote facility overseen by a silent authoritarian commander, Semiradov (Fedor Bondarchuk). An unorthodox neuropsychologist, Tatyana (Oksana Akinshina), is called upon to diagnose the apparent amnesiac astronaut’s condition. Earlier attempts by another scientist have proved futile and frustrating. But “Sputnik” is not set in a declining Soviet Union only to break out spiffy retro designs; the curving totalitarian structure is central to the film’s theme.
Soon enough, we were faced with the biggest problem – Constantine did not come home alone. Hence the title. The less public about his smart, swaying companion, the better. Suffice it to say that the creature literally lives from fear.
The film deals with fairly familiar tropics. Anyone who knew the alien “Alien” would be able to say that at least one of the small military and scientific crew members investigating the situation wants to arm the creature.
Although “Sputnik” does not make its substantial borrowings from other sci-fi images completely new, it does make enough of them to provide a truly scary and satisfying experience.
Sputnik
Not rated. In Russian, with subtitles. Running time: 1 hour 53 minutes. Rent or buy on Google Play, iTunes and other streaming platforms and pay TV operators.
