Vodorod Pictures and Art Pictures Studio’s SPUTNIK was supposed to release in Russian theaters on April 23rd, 2020. I don’t know if it did or not given the global lockdown that was in effect due to Mistress Corona-chan running amok among the populace, but a new trailer for the sci-fi horror film was released to give moviegoers something spicy to look forward to when it eventually lands on streaming services and video on demand in the West.

The film is like a combination of The Thing meets The Astronaut’s Wife, but with the decidedly cultural twist of being set in Russia. This gives the film a whole different kind of vibe thanks to the cold, brutalist setting where the containment takes place, and the Cold War vibes hinted at throughout the trailer.

You can check it out below, courtesy of Movie Trailers Source.

The film reminds me a little bit of the 2015 sci-fi horror bomb, Life. The big difference here is that there appears to be a strong focus on the mystery elements of the lead actress’ ties to the extraterrestrial passenger that hitched a ride back to Earth in one of (or both) the cosmonauts.

The film is also set back in 1983, so it makes sense that there’s a Cold War element to the overlying themes of invasion, secrecy, and subversion.

The way the monster behaves and the way the action scenes appear to be framed in the trailer gave me instant vibes of Matthijs van Heijningen’s rendition of The Thing.

This looks like it could be a taut, cinematic horror film that will likely garner a cult following if it’s done right.

Also, since it’s a Russian film you once again don’t have to worry about any kind of overtly sociopolitical messages foisted on you by Left-wing mouth-breathers or degenerate-pushing agitprop.

Thank goodness.

As mentioned, SPUTNIK was supposed to be in films April 23rd, but if it skipped theaters due to the coronavirus then it’s likely already available on VOD or coming soon to a streaming service near you.