Zoology

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Zoology

2016

1h 23m

Drama

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Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

87%

Tomatometer

30 Reviews

65%

Popcornmeter

50+ Ratings

Middle-aged zoo worker Natasha lives with her mother in a small coastal town. She feels stuck in a life that holds no surprises, until one day she grows a tail.

Wendy Ide

Observer (UK)

You probably need to be Russian to be able to fully unpack the layers of satire and allegory in this defiantly oddball tale of personal growth. But the impact of the sheer weirdness of a story of a middle-aged zoo worker who grows a tail is universal.

Rated: 3/5

Oct 1, 2017

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Peter Bradshaw

Guardian

There are strains of Gogol and Kafka in this intriguing if flawed movie from Russian director Ivan I Tverdovskiy, shot in a restless handheld style, the camera roaming and panning across a dreary workaday world.

Rated: 3/5

Sep 29, 2017

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Ian Freer

Empire Magazine

Zoology is a genuine oddity: bizarre, surprising and affecting. If it's meaning is muddled, Natasha Pavlenkova' s central turn makes the tale - and the tail - worthwhile.

Rated: 4/5

Sep 29, 2017

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Nathan Mattise

Ars Technica

Throughout, Natasha is a relatable character you want to root for no matter if her happiness involves keeping or ditching the new appendage.

Jul 28, 2021

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Richard Propes

TheIndependentCritic.com

A little gem that is worth your time.

Rated: 3.5/4.0

Sep 27, 2020

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Vladan Petkovic

Cineuropa

A fascinating film on multiple levels.

Sep 1, 2020

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Audience Member

I mostly enjoyed it. It made me question things afterwards and there were some 'feelgood' moments! I'd probably watch it again.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/06/23

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Audience Member

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Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/31/23

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brent m

A whimsical comedy about a woman who's "different" -- she has a tail! -- and how the qualities that set her apart from mainstream Russian society affect her interaction with family, co-workers, a prospective love interest and various official institutions, like the church and the medical establishment. In making its statements about conformity, individuality and celebrating our defining characteristics, the film conveys its message while maintaining a mostly light and fun attitude, except when a stronger touch is absolutely called for. Despite a slight tendency toward uneven pacing, the picture's a winner on all other fronts. You won't see anything like this coming out of American production houses!

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

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Ivan I. Tverdovskiy

Director

Masha Tokareva

Katya

Natalya Pavlenkova

Natasha

Aleksandr Gorchilin

Stylist

Irina Chipizhenko

Mother

Aleksandr Nekhoroshikh

Surgeon

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Synopsis

Middle-aged zoo worker Natasha lives with her mother in a small coastal town. She feels stuck in a life that holds no surprises, until one day she grows a tail.

Director: Ivan I. Tverdovskiy
Producer: Guillaume de Seille, Natalya Mokritskaya, Mila Rozanova, Maria Lavnikovich, Ulyana Saveleva, Bénédicte Thomas
Screenwriter: Ivan I. Tverdovskiy
Production Co: New People Film Company, Arizona Films
Genre: Drama
Original Language: Russian
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 28, 2017
Runtime: 1h 23m

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