The Return

2003 1h 51m RU

👍

7.3

SOLID

★7.3TMDB · 731

DramaMystery

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Two young brothers in contemporary Russia are reunited with a father they know only from an old photograph after his sudden return from a long absence. With their mother’s reluctant consent, they set out on a remote trip that quickly becomes an uneasy test of authority, trust, and masculinity. As the journey moves deeper into the wilderness, the fragile bonds between father and sons are pushed to their limits.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Vladimir Garin
Andrey
Konstantin Lavronenko
Father
Nataliya Vdovina
Mother
Ivan Dobronravov
Ivan
Lazar Dubovik
Hooligan
Lyubov Kazakova
Girl in the Mirror
Galina Petrova
Grandmother
Aleksey Suknovalov
Zavodila

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Andrey Zvyagintsev
Writers: Vladimir Moiseenko, Aleksandr Novototskiy-Vlasov
Languages: Russian
Countries: Russia

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 6

ERA

Did you know

Released 23 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 6

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Andrey Zvyagintsev, shot by Mikhail Krichman. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 6

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Andrey Dergachev. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 6

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Vladimir Mogilevsky shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 6

CAST

Did you know

Vladimir Garin and Konstantin Lavronenko and Nataliya Vdovina carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 6

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0376968 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Andrey Zvyagintsev directs. Mikhail Krichman behind the camera. Andrey Dergachev scores. Vladimir Mogilevsky cuts. Produced in Russia. Dialogue in Russian.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Released 23 years ago.
2Directed by Andrey Zvyagintsev, shot by Mikhail Krichman. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Original score by Andrey Dergachev. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Editor Vladimir Mogilevsky shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Vladimir Garin and Konstantin Lavronenko and Nataliya Vdovina carry the top of the cast.
6IMDB entry: tt0376968 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
7Classified under 11 themes, including "brother", "abusive father", "relationship problems", "road trip".
8Released under 14 different titles around the world.