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IN THE MOSCOW SLUMS (KHITROVKA. ZNAK CHETYRYOKH) - 2023, Mosfilm, 129 min. The latest film from acclaimed director Karen Shakhnazarov (ZEROGRAD and THE ASSASSIN OF THE TSAR, both released by Deaf Crocodile and Seagull Films) is a tremendously entertaining historical detective mystery adapted from Arthur Conan Doyle's The Sign of Four and the writings of famed Russian journalist Vladimir Gilyarovsky -- but in place of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, the film features two real-life figures from Russian history. In Moscow in 1902, legendary actor and theater director Konstantin Stanislavski (Konstantin Kryukov) is struggling to understand the life of slum dwellers for his latest production of Gorky's The Lower Depths -- so he turns to journalist Gilyarovsky (Mikhail Porechenkov) who takes him on a guided tour of the Khitrovka district, pretty much Moscow's version of Whitechapel circa Jack the Ripper. There, they stumble across the bizarre murder of a chess playing friend of Gilyarovsky's called The Rajah and cross paths with a stunningly beautiful fallen aristocrat named The Countess (Anfisa Chernykh) and a savage Englishman and his blow-dart shooting killer companion. For fans of the Jeremy Brett-starring Sherlock Holmes series and the recent Kenneth Branagh-directed Hercule Poirot mysteries, this is an irresistible treat. Shakhnazarov clearly has great affection for the classic period in Russian theater (Anton Chekhov makes a cameo appearance at one point) and for the Holmes stories this pays loving tribute to. Co-presented with Seagull Films. In Russian with English subtitles.

Description

For Moscow engineer Alexey (Leonid Filatov), the business trip sounded simple enough-train to a remote city, deliver the specs for a custom factory part. Once there, though, surreal situations start to occur-from a nude receptionist to being served a dessert in the likeness of his own head-and he'll learn to his dismay that getting into town would be far easier than getting out. Absurdist mystery and poke at perestroika co-stars Vladimir Menshov, Oleg Basilashvili, 103 min. Widescreen; Soundtrack: Russian; Subtitles: English; audio commentary; featurette. In Russian with English subtitles.