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Stalker

Play trailer Poster for Stalker TV-14 Released Oct 20, 1982 2h 43m Sci-Fi Adventure Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
100% Tomatometer 45 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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Stalker

Stalker

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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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Critics Reviews

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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 Josh Larsen LarsenOnFilm ... an apocalyptically eerie argument that there is something more than the material world. Rated: 4/4 Jun 26, 2025 Full Review 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 Full Review Dave Giannini InSession Film Impressive work. It challenges us, whether we are people of faith or not. In a dramatically fantastic artistic career, Stalker is Tarkobvky’s greatest achievement, and one of film’s greatest accomplishments, as well. Rated: A+ Feb 29, 2024 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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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 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 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 out of 5 stars 06/07/25 Full Review Julian Rex M A gorgeous, poignant, and atmospheric exploration of the human experience and the necessity of pain, Stalker is a dazzling masterwork that remains distinguished on each and every artistic and technical level--from cinematography to writing to performances to direction--ensuring that it continues to hold its place as one of Andrei Tarkovsky's greatest films and one of the most arresting ever made. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 06/07/25 Full Review Paul S The story was way too slow and boring, and I wasn't able to finish it in one sitting because it put me to sleep. However, it has striking visuals that seem far ahead of its time. It is a beautifully shot film, but it definitely could've been shortened. The S.T.A.L.K.E.R video games are far superior to this. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 04/11/25 Full Review Melia C Film Stalker adalah sebuah film thriller psikologis yang unik dan menarik. Meskipun alur cerita agak lambat, film ini berhasil menggambarkan kehidupan manusia dengan cara yang sangat unik dan menakjubkan. Jika Anda adalah penggemar film thriller psikologis, maka film ini mungkin layak untuk ditonton. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/10/25 Full Review Read all reviews
Stalker

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Movie Info

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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