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‘Minotaur’ movie review: A politically and psychologically propulsive family drama
The review discusses Andrey Zvyagintsev's new film "Minotaur," a Russian-language thriller about an unhappily married couple whose personal crisis unfolds against the backdrop of Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The film adapts a familiar infidelity narrative but distinguishes itself by placing individual moral failure within a context of state-sponsored violence and systemic dehumanisation, offering both political commentary and psychological insight into how militarism erodes human connection.
The film centres on Gleb, a corporate manager tasked with submitting employee names to be sent to the front lines, and his wife Galina, who is conducting an affair with a younger photographer. The reviewer compares it to earlier films on infidelity such as "The Unfaithful Wife" (1969) and "Unfaithful" (2002), but emphasises that Zvyagintsev's approach proves more compelling because personal betrayals become secondary to the larger dehumanisation of the state system. Strong performances from Dmitriy Mazurov and the ensemble cast capture the characters' psychological unravelling amidst isolation, paranoia and dissociation, with the film praised for its absorbing depiction of fractured family life and the casual brutality underlying their mundane reality.
In short
- Russian thriller examines infidelity against backdrop of Ukraine invasion
- Personal crises overwhelmed by state militarism and systemic dehumanisation
- Praised for powerful performances and psychologically compelling storytelling
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
By integrating personal moral failure with state-sponsored violence and systemic dehumanisation, Zvyagintsev creates a profound meditation on how militarism erodes human connection itself, transcending conventional infidelity narratives. The approach is artistically justified because the external violence meaningfully shapes the characters' psychological unravelling, generating insight that neither intimate drama nor political commentary alone could achieve. The strong performances and absorbing narrative demonstrate the combination works authentically rather than feeling imposed.
The case against
Merging intimate character drama with commentary on contemporary invasion risks producing work that uses real tragedy as aesthetic backdrop rather than allowing either dimension to develop with full force. The approach may feel contrived—as if personal betrayal and state violence are artificially linked for artistic effect rather than emerging naturally from the human story. One might argue that greater artistic power comes from commitment to a single primary concern, as dividing attention between psychological depth and political commentary risks compromising both.
Explained simply
Minotaur is a new Russian film by director Andrey Zvyagintsev about a marriage in crisis. The story follows Gleb, a corporate manager, and his wife Galina, who is having an affair with a younger photographer. His job involves selecting employees to be sent to the front lines during Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, placing the couple's personal troubles within a context of military violence.
The film adapts a familiar infidelity narrative but sets it within a context of militarism and state violence that erodes human connection. Rather than focusing solely on the couple's betrayal of each other, it examines how systemic dehumanisation and paranoia seep into their everyday life. This allows it to work as both intimate family drama and political commentary on how warfare damages individual psychology and trust.
The film has drawn praise for strong performances that capture the characters' psychological breakdown amid isolation and fear. The reviewer notes that it is more compelling than earlier infidelity films precisely because it connects personal moral failure to a larger context of state violence and systemic dehumanisation.