Studio: Arrow
Release Date: 5/27/2025
Rating: Not Rated, but I’d judge it as an R
Film Grade: B
The Story: A hood is removed from a man’s head, offering him a chance to smoke a cigarette, revealing that he’s a handcuffed prisoner. A woman loses sight of her son and wanders the desolate village searching for him. They’re soon brought together at a police station as their fates are destined to intertwine.
My Take: This is such a unique film that it defies simple categorization. Viewing the trailer, it looked like it might be a Kazakh version of Mad Max, but that’s only one of many similarities from various genres. The grim and desolate environment is set in either the present day or recent past, not some post-apocalyptic land, and is never explicitly identified. The run-down setting is reminiscent of westerns, with outposts, vast barren landscapes with sparce vegetation, and roaming domesticated animals. They all contribute to the film’s themes of ruthlessness as a tool for survival in a place where normal society is tenuously teetering on the edge of collapse; where it’s impossible to tell which side is which based on actions alone. Yet, in other respects, it’s reminiscent of classic samurai movies. In that way (and only that way), it’s kind of like Star Wars, which was alternately accused of ripping off Flash Gordon, The Searchers, and The Hidden Fortress. While it clearly used some of those elements, George Lucas combined and built on them to make something that is clearly its own thing.
Although the movie takes its name from the novel Steppenwolf from the 1920’s, it’s only used as thematic inspiration for writer/director Adilkhan Yerzhanov, who has stripped the story of any fantastical elements, giving it harsh and real immediacy. On the surface, one might take it simply as an action thriller, and while the movie is filled with those scenes, that’s only part of how it hits. While the violence is unapologetically ruthless, much of it is either off screen or obscured by in-frame objects. Regardless, it comes across as brutal, never intending to entertain, as one might regard the John Wick movies, for example.
Instead, the plot and action are used to look at aspects of the human condition under extreme conflict. It examines what kinds of motivations can compel decisions in a world that was spiraled out of control. Morality is a luxury when simple existence is a struggle against daily chaos. This theme is carried through all of the movie’s varied characters and events.
There are no characters to consider as heroes. Berik Aytzhanov is Braiyuk, former police investigator who once specialized in getting information out of people using whatever techniques were required. He plays the character as a cunning psychopath, slightly counterbalanced with a dark, dark, wry sense of humor. Each scene is filled with tension as he acts like a weapon that is constantly ready to go off. His motivation is slowly unveiled as the movie progresses as we gain insight into what drives him.
The other primary character is Tamara, a mentally unwell mother, vulnerably portrayed by Anna Starchenko. Timid and quiet, she’s completely focused on getting back her missing son. Both characters are deeply flawed, warped by the society around them and prior events. Even though they may not be characters we can identify with, both performances are deeply compelling, with much of their thoughts and emotions expressed through their faces and eyes, not just dialog. Both are surprisingly complex for a film like this.
A variety of other actors are used in the film, each with unique personalities even if they only appear briefly. The film leans heavily into realistic portrayals rather than over-the-top caricatures that you would see in the typical action movie. Secondary characters illustrate that the most skilled fighters have been killed earlier in the unnamed conflict, leaving untrained commoners to carry on the battle, with artificial bravado prompted by their potent weaponry.
The film frequently changes pace from swift and deadly conflicts to slower personal moments that are used to gain understanding to the characters. It’s grossly involving from beginning to end. I’ve kept the plot details as sparce as possible because the narrative is not spoon-fed to the audience but unfolds as needed, with details dealt out over time. Not to say that it’s hard to follow; it uses that uncertain, but developing, narrative aspect to reinforce the feelings of a collapsing societal structure and subsequent lack of moral framework.
There is one section of the movie that doesn’t quite work, as it unnecessarily stretches credibility and leads to another that is resolved without explanation. It’s not critical to the overall story, but takes the viewer out of the movie for a time, even if the event itself is significant in showing how one of the characters is evolving. This could have been handled differently with a small change in plot.
Visuals: The cinematography is unexpectedly expansive and grand for this film. Landscape shots are wide and bleak, synthesizing with the themes of the movie. Structures are worn and abused, like the characters themselves, with palpable textures that are tangible even with its mostly neutral color palette. It all adds to the oppressive feelings of dread and despair that permeate each scene. Night scenes are shot with a complementary shade of orange, heightening the drama for the scenes it’s used, but maybe at the sacrifice of deep blacks. Overall, I liked the realistic look of the film and thought it was effective.
Audio: The DTS HD-MA 5.1 is taken from the original soundtrack. Like the movie’s setting, the audio is stark and minimalistic. Wind is almost omni-present throughout, emphasizing the unforgivingly bleak environment. Even when not visible in individual scenes, murmurs of munition fire are used to underscore the hellish environment that the characters are stuck in.
The films retro electronic synth soundtrack helps add to the out-of-time feel of the movie. While not overly used, it brings a real 80s vibe to the story, helping detach it from any specific time or place. It’s not used in a nostalgic way, and is another example of how the movie mixes genres.
Special Features: This edition is filled with extra value. Not only does it include the film, but there’s a second full-length feature included. Goliath is an earlier movie from the same director and also starring Aytzhanov. It’s the story and character study of a completely different nature, although one could consider it set in the same place, but an earlier time, as Steppewolf. Thematically, it draws directly from Machiavelli’s The Prince, using printed quotes as setups for the different acts. It is definitely worth watching as insight to see the range the director is capable of.
The commentary and visual essay are both worth checking out for anyone looking for deeper insight into the themes and influences of the movie. Sometimes these kinds of extras can be tedious, but both of these stand out for the accessibility and relatability of their viewpoints, making them well worth listening to.
- Audio commentary with critic and pop culture historian David Flint
- A visual essay by Lee Broughton
- A behind-the-scenes featurette with cast and crew interviews
- Adilkhan Yerzhanov's 2022 feature film Goliath
- An illustrated collector’s booklet with interviews with cast and crew members
Final Verdict: Steppenwolf is not a “fun” movie, but it is effectively hard-hitting. It transports us to a land most of us don’t live in, and hope to never live in. In a way, I was reminded of the 2009 movie, The Road. Although not set after a nuclear war, both do an amazing job of putting us into a dreadful setting, with a raw sense of hopelessness that is completely gripping and absorbing. While some dark humor offers some relief of tension, the true relief comes only at the end, as we are thankful that almost all of us have the luxury of returning to the real world, faced only with the responsibilities of jobs and bills. Even as the daily news constantly reminds us that there are other parts of our world that don’t have that luxury.
Considering all of that, it’s a hard recommendation for a general audience, but my wife and I both found it engrossing from beginning to end, never knowing what to expect next, but still anxiously awaiting it.
The movie also helps show that the gaps between Hollywood productions and movies out of small countries, like Kazakhstan, are diminishing each year. This isn’t something you could ever expect to find out of a big studio, but the production values, scripting, cinematography, and acting are all at that level. Yerzhanov’s next production is a horror film called Cadet, and I’m really interested to see what he does with that, seeing how truly effective and unsettling this movie is.
If you are looking for something vastly different from the norm and more than just simple entertainment, Steppenwolf is a worthy watch.
Arrow has put together a full package here, with the bonus of adding an entire second, full-length feature along with making-of materials and some higher-level analysis by two film critics. I applaud them for bringing such a little-known title to the market.
Dilemmatic Quote: ”Leave one boy alive, and have three people die instead. Is that the greater good?”
My Review System:JVC DLA-RS3100 4K Ultra High-Definition Front Projector
Elite Screens Sable Frame B2 117” Width with Infinitely Variable Height
Monolith by Monoprice HTP-1 16 Channel Processor with Dirac Live
Monolith by Monoprice 7x200 Watts Amp
Monolith by Monoprice 3x200 Watts + 6x100 Watts Amp
JBL Studio 590 for Left, Center, Right, Wides, and Rears
JBL Studio 580 for Side Surrounds
JBL Studio SCS 8 for Tops
JTR Captivator 1400 Subwoofer X 4
Panasonic DP-UB420 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Player
Oppo BDP-93
NVIDIA Shield Android TV - 4K
Xbox One X
HTPC Running madVR (work in progress)
Remote: URC MX-780
Mini DSP 2X4 HD controlling all subwoofers
APC S15 Power Conditioner with Battery Backup
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