Racketeer

2007 1h 20m RU

👍

7.2

SOLID

★7.2TMDB · 17

CrimeDramaAction

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Set in the early 1990s in Almaty, the film follows Sayan, a promising young boxer who decides to punch his way into a better life by joining a local criminal gang. As he climbs the ranks of the underworld, he quickly learns that the path of a racketeer comes with a heavy price, and some choices can never be undone. A gritty, first-person account of ambition, loyalty, and the inevitable reckoning in a lawless era.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Sayat Isembayev
Sayan
Murat Bisenbin
Ruslan
Asel Sagatova
Asel
Zhan Baizhanbayev
Zhan
Saken Aminov
Aman
Mentay Utepbergenov
Make (Zhan's Partner)
Vladimir Vdovichenkov
Volodya
Bolat Kalymbetov
Abu

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Akan Satayev
Writers: Timur Zhaksylykov
Languages: Kazakh, Russian
Countries: Kazakhstan

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 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

80 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $0.8M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 19 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: Kazakh, Russian.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Akan Satayev, shot by Khasan Kydyraliyev. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Sayat Isembayev and Murat Bisenbin and Asel Sagatova carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Akan Satayev directs. Khasan Kydyraliyev behind the camera. Andrei Lifinskiy scores. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in Kazakhstan. Dialogue in Kazakh, Russian.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

180 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
2Shot for just $0.8M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
3Released 19 years ago.
4Dialogue crosses 2 languages: Kazakh, Russian.
5Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
6Directed by Akan Satayev, shot by Khasan Kydyraliyev. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
7Original score by Andrei Lifinskiy. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
8Sayat Isembayev and Murat Bisenbin and Asel Sagatova carry the top of the cast.
9IMDB entry: tt1677719 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Only 17 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.