Stalker

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Stalker

TV-14

1982

2h 43m

Sci-Fi

Adventure

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

100%

Tomatometer

46 Reviews

92%

Popcornmeter

25,000+ Ratings

In an unnamed country at an unspecified time, there is a fiercely protected post-apocalyptic wasteland known as The Zone. An illegal guide (Aleksandr Kajdanovsky), whose mutant child suggests unspeakable horrors within The Zone, leads a writer (Anatoliy Solonitsyn) and a scientist (Nikolay Grinko) into the heart of the devastation in search of a mythical place known only as The Room. Anyone who enters The Room will supposedly have any of his earthly desires immediately fulfilled.

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Critics Consensus

Stalker is a complex, oblique parable that draws unforgettable images and philosophical musings from its sci-fi/thriller setting.

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John Semley

Salon.com

It's a film that challenges us to be bored, while refusing to be boring.

Feb 7, 2019

Full Review

David Jenkins

Little White Lies

Yet Stalker is a movie to be watched as many times as physically possible... It really is that astounding.

Feb 7, 2019

Full Review

Kristin M. Jones

Wall Street Journal

There are no flying saucers in the great Russian director's haunting tale of a journey into the depths of a postapocalyptic landscape, but it offers visual splendor, as well as mysteries, portents and miracles.

Feb 14, 2018

Full Review

Siddhant Adlakha

Inverse

Preserved within the sci-fi drama Stalker — between its elliptical cuts that bend space, and in its looming, lengthy takes that extend time — is the very essence of its director. There is perhaps no greater compendium of his artistic worldview.

Jul 8, 2025

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Josh Larsen

LarsenOnFilm

... an apocalyptically eerie argument that there is something more than the material world.

Rated: 4/4

Jun 26, 2025

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Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

An uncanny cinematic landscape to explore, investigate, and reflect upon, Stalker is an immersive and unwavering search for meaning in terms of what appears onscreen and how audiences have responded since its release in 1979.

Rated: 4/4

Apr 30, 2025

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Merick H

Pretentious crap... and the pretentious response will be... you just didn't get it; it was over your head... yeah, okay... The pacing of this film is terrible-- a few really interesting lines, followed by twenty minutes of utter tedium, followed by an interesting monologue with some "profound" insights, followed by another twenty minutes of mind numbing boredom... and on and on and on... It explores some interesting ideas, but the story itself sucks and we have no reason to care about these characters... You could write a fascinating paper about this film, and it would probably be a lot of fun to discuss in some sort of film group, but the experience of sitting through it is not enjoyable. It has its moments, for sure, but as a whole, it is tedious... Pretentious crap. 100% from the critics? Give me a break...

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

11/10/25

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To F

Me hizo reflexionar sobre la esperanza y lo cruel de la vida, de que a pesar de las circunstancias siempre tenemos esa esperanza de que todo algún día va a cambiar para bien, de que haríamos lo que fuera por cumplir un deseo.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

10/22/25

Full Review

bao s

I liked this movie in my 20s, I still find it a visual and contemplative masterpiece. Watch Solaris if you want stronger foundations..

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

08/21/25

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Tehmine H

Tarkovski - sinemanın ruhani atası...

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/17/25

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Joshua H

This feels like the kinda of movie which gets better on rewatch but for the frist time watching it found it very captivating. I love how it's movie thats about something in an age of so many generic film it's refreshing to see a movie that's actually about something. The themes were very interesting and it dives into the human condition. The film was very interesting but the reason I can't yet rate it higher is because I feel like there are things I didn't quite get it so the rating may get higher. However I very much enjoyed watching it.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

08/15/25

Full Review

Audience Member

Its one of the most boring movies I have ever seen tbh :) Pretentious crap with a lot of talking and nothing SF about other than talking non-stop and lamenting all the way. Sorry, I know this might upset die hard fans but this does not deserve its place.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

08/11/25

Full Review

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Andrei Tarkovsky

Director

Aleksandr Kajdanovsky

Stalker

Nikolay Grinko

Professor

Anatoliy Solonitsyn

Pisatel

Alisa Freyndlikh

Zhena Stalkera

Natalya Abramova

Marta

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Synopsis

In an unnamed country at an unspecified time, there is a fiercely protected post-apocalyptic wasteland known as The Zone. An illegal guide (Aleksandr Kajdanovsky), whose mutant child suggests unspeakable horrors within The Zone, leads a writer (Anatoliy Solonitsyn) and a scientist (Nikolay Grinko) into the heart of the devastation in search of a mythical place known only as The Room. Anyone who enters The Room will supposedly have any of his earthly desires immediately fulfilled.

Director: Andrei Tarkovsky
Producer: Aleksandra Demidova
Screenwriter: Arkadiy Strugatskiy, Boris Strugatskiy, Arkadiy Strugatskiy, Boris Strugatskiy
Production Co: Mosfilm
Rating: TV-14
Genre: Sci-Fi, Adventure
Original Language: Russian
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 20, 1982, Original
Rerelease Date (Theaters): May 5, 2017
Release Date (Streaming): Jul 18, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA): $258.4K
Runtime: 2h 43m

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