Stalker

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Thomas S Mesmerizing film — though it doesn’t quite reach the brilliance of the book it’s based on, Roadside Picnic by the Strugatsky Brothers. The novel raises a profound question: what are humans willing to do to briefly forget their own mortality? One of the Zone’s traps — shimmering heat waves rising from the ground — is fleetingly visible in the film, hinting at the unseen dangers and mysteries that fill the book. I’ve always loved the concept: extraterrestrials visiting Earth, only to leave again once they realize that humanity has nothing of value to offer them. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 07/06/25 Full Review Alain E The first half keeps the interested viewer alert. Very good cinematography with the colors eliminated inside a brown shade. We are trying to figure out what is happening with the trains coming and going, police and the army. The slow pace makes sense. Once we are inside the zone a tighter editing would have improved the experience, in my opinion. Interesting that women are not admitted into the sanctum. Rated 2.5/5 Stars •  Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 07/03/25 Full Review Nava M The premise itself is pretty interesting. There is a zone, a place that is guarded by officers, but no one actually goes inside it, because it is said to grant one’s deepest desires, and often people don’t come back. Now this in and of itself sounds like a movie I’d give an A+ rating to, because I feel like it’s so out of the ordinary, mundane, you can’t help but like a movie that is going to feel different and transport you, quote on quote. I mean, just hearing that premise, as I get older, premises like this feel like it's a chance to feel that escapism we feel as children when we watch movies, and though there are some moments I felt involved, most of the film I felt hadn’t done its job correctly. Stalker is a beautifully shot film; the cinematography is a chef's kiss, but the story didn’t work for me. The pacing was slow, and whatever it wanted to communicate, whatever it was trying to say, which I still fully don’t understand after my first watch, I’ve only seen it once, and maybe this is why I dont adore it like others, but if it wanted to get introspective, and explore the idea of desires, and perhaps I think even the reason one doesn’t want to see their deepest desire becauase it’ll destory something in them or something that they want to I guess at least consciously keep alive because it’ll be threanted after they are consciously aware. This didn’t do that on an emotional level, factually, it did, by the sense of literally saying it and seeing the characters explore these ideas, but there was no room, despite the lengthy run time, for a connection between me and the characters, or the story, it doesn't feel very interesting, and feels more often unengaging. Maybe Stalker is an exception, and the next Tarkovsky movie I’ll see something I connect with more, but this time around, it didn’t click right. Rated 2/5 Stars •  Rated 2 out of 5 stars 07/03/25 Full Review Rodrigo D A very good film. It's simple; don't expect it to be exceptional; rather, it's rough... you have to break it down piece by piece, and that's where it leads you to the wonder, the interpretation you get from everything. I recommend watching it several times! Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 06/17/25 Full Review Stephen C Success in 2 hours and 43 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! In Russian and English versions with English subtitles!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 06/07/25 Full Review Kyle C Such a cool idea. It reminds me of Annihilation, which I really enjoyed and was obviously heavily inspired by Stalker. The direction and imagery, especially the muted colors and foggy landscape, really lend themselves well to this feeling of mystery and danger, like we shouldn’t be here, but we don’t quite know why. This mood is prevalent throughout, interrupted only by characters sharing abstract philosophical debates about, well, pretty much anything. The ideas on faith, humanity, and exploring one’s innermost desires are fairly clear, but there are plenty of looser ideas sprinkled throughout the film which are ripe for interpretation. It starts to drag a bit near the end, making me question whether the runtime might have been a touch excessive, but it does maintain the mood throughout its several endings. You have to be in the right mindset for Stalker, and it’s probably not what you’re expecting, but it’s incredibly unique and will leave you with plenty to think about. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 06/07/25 Full Review Read all reviews

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