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Zero City

1988 1h 43m Drama List
83% Tomatometer 6 Reviews 85% Popcornmeter 250+ Ratings
An engineer goes to a small town to give exact measurements for a machine part, and when he arrives, he discerns that everyone is crazy. He finds a secretary working naked, several people who think he is rock 'n' roll star, and a man committing suicide. After this, he is trapped and cannot leave the town.

Critics Reviews

View All (6) Critics Reviews
Jonathan Rosenbaum Chicago Reader None of this exactly goes anywhere, but Shakhnazarov manages to keep it amusing and watchable. Apr 4, 2011 Full Review Marjorie Baumgarten Austin Chronicle Rated: 3/5 Apr 4, 2011 Full Review Caryn James New York Times A deliciously cheerful satire about the legacy of Stalin, personal identity and the political importance of rock-and-roll. Apr 4, 2011 Full Review Christopher Llewellyn Reed Film Festival Today For us, it’s all a lot of fun, even if some of the jokes become stale after a bit. Who knew the end of a world could be such a delight? Rated: 3/4 Oct 26, 2022 Full Review Diane Carson KDHX (St. Louis) Delivering it all in a carefree fashion, co-writer Shakhnazarov keeps his cards close to his chest, never wink-winking at the audience. Sep 15, 2022 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (8) audience reviews
Nawt W Shakhnazarov's movie allegories would've been seen as a bit dull if they weren't so prophetic. This one, unlike something like Courier, doesn't even pretend that it has anything in the story but that allegory. A very blatant showcase as to why the Soviet Union's decline and disintegration were imminent, presented in a microcosm of a single city. No one knows what they are producing, they are just working the plan. Museums whitewash or conjure up historical relevancy to create an illusion of prestige, and the most socially relevant event in the city's history has nothing to do with Russia or Russian culture. And while the entire top-brass is busy investigating conspiracies they themselves create, Varakin asks "What can I do?" to which the answer from the Prosecutor is "Nothing".  Just sit there and let it all roll over, which is the exact sentiment of the late 1980's Soviet citizens. Everyone knew it was coming. The scramble for territories, the overturn, and the following results are actually seen on TV today. The conclusion might have been the most prophetic part of the movie. You indeed can not escape. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 10/18/22 Full Review Bob N A bizarre and amazing look at one man's journey in the last days of the USSR. A masterpiece. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/18/22 Full Review Audience Member Marvellous, but I'm still not 100% sure I understood everything as it was sooooo twisted! I felt very satisfied after leaving the cinema. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 02/17/23 Full Review Audience Member Humour noir dans une URSS qui etait en train de perecliter! Un sens de la derision tres tres pousse! Tres drole et en meme temps un peu kafkaen dans l absurdite des situations... Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/19/23 Full Review Audience Member Pretty damn amazing, but I got lost a few times because it was in Russian. But reminded me of a dark Wes Anderson film. I would love to adapt this film. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/16/23 Full Review Audience Member so at first you really just want to walk out of the theatre and get your money back... by but the end you're pleading for more [in a thick russian accent of course]. the subtitles were riddled with errors, the plot never came, on the whole, not once could you make any sense of it, but the jokes were so outrageous that you can't help but LOVE zero city. high fives on this Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 01/21/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Zero City

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Cast & Crew

Ward No. 6 67% 68% Ward No. 6 Proof 94% 80% Proof Love Field 40% 55% Love Field Mortal Thoughts 56% 36% Mortal Thoughts Discover more movies and TV shows. View More

Movie Info

Synopsis An engineer goes to a small town to give exact measurements for a machine part, and when he arrives, he discerns that everyone is crazy. He finds a secretary working naked, several people who think he is rock 'n' roll star, and a man committing suicide. After this, he is trapped and cannot leave the town.
Director
Karen Shakhnazarov
Screenwriter
Karen Shakhnazarov, Aleksandr Borodyansky
Production Co
Mosfilm
Genre
Drama
Original Language
Russian
Runtime
1h 43m