Unclenching the Fists

Name: Unclenching the Fists
Genre: Drama
Released: May 26, 2023
Duration: 97 min
Rating: 68
Cast: Alik Karaev, Arsen Khetagurov, Khetag Bibilov, Milana Aguzarova, Milana Pagieva

2023

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Generally favorable reviews based on 10 Critic Reviews

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Movie Details & Credits

MUBI | Release Date (Streaming): May 26, 2023 | Not Rated

Starring: Alik Karaev, Arsen Khetagurov, Khetag Bibilov, Milana Aguzarova, Milana Pagieva, Soslan Khugaev

Summary: Ada is stuck, living in a dead-end industrial town in the North Ossetia section of Russia. Between her domineering father, obsessive younger brother, and an unrelenting suitor, she is caught in the tight grip of the many men in her life. When her older brother returns home and her father suddenly falls ill, Ada finally sees a possible pathAda is stuck, living in a dead-end industrial town in the North Ossetia section of Russia. Between her domineering father, obsessive younger brother, and an unrelenting suitor, she is caught in the tight grip of the many men in her life. When her older brother returns home and her father suddenly falls ill, Ada finally sees a possible path to independence. But embarking on this journey in a family marked by years of trauma is more complex than it may seem.

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Director: Kira Kovalenko

Genre(s): Drama

Rating: Not Rated

Runtime: 97 min

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Critic Reviews

The Guardian Phil Hoad

May 22, 2023

Aguzarova is quietly phenomenal, never more so than in the sex scene where, holding her curled-up hands away from Tamik’s body, she manages to be coy, conflicted, detached, expectant and amused all at once. Read full review

Guy Lodge

Sep 5, 2021

A frenzied vocal tone and wild, untethered physicality connects all the performances, with every character seemingly eager to burst out of their own body, and by extension, the life in which it’s stranded. Read full review

Steve Pond

Jul 17, 2021

The film is a dark slice of neorealism with a palpable sense of claustrophobia that Ada feels in her life and in her family. But her relationship to what is essentially imprisonment is odd and complex; she seems desperate to get out and exercise some control of her life, but there are strange cracks in that desperation, signs that she’s terrified of what even a modicum of freedom and control might bring. Read full review

IndieWire Ryan Lattanzio

Sep 5, 2021

Unclenching the Fists turns out to be hardly the neorealist dip into misery that some of the film’s more disconnected camerawork from DP Pavel Fomintsev promises. Read full review

The Film Stage Rory O'Connor

Sep 30, 2021

The experience is nothing if not grueling, and Fists‘ willingness to heap misery on characters who are already truly down ultimately leaves a callous taste in the mouth. Read full review

Noel Murray

May 26, 2023

This is a different kind of prison escape picture, focusing on the stifling confines of a life devoid of possibility. Read full review

Demetrios Matheou

Jul 17, 2021

Overall, the film’s treatment of a sensitive scenario lacks subtlety, making for a tough and taxing viewing experience. Read full review

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bertobellamy

May 28, 2023

In 'Unclenching the Fists,' a woman craves independence in a male-dominated environment. Milana Aguzarova's child-like Ada slowly transforms into a self-determined character ready to leave his controlling father. Director Kira Kovalenko delivers a bleak tale of how emotional violence is usedIn 'Unclenching the Fists,' a woman craves independence in a male-dominated environment. Milana Aguzarova's child-like Ada slowly transforms into a self-determined character ready to leave his controlling father. Director Kira Kovalenko delivers a bleak tale of how emotional violence is used as the ultimate weapon to subdue women. But when another violent context around the protagonist and her family is unraveled, this becomes a tale about survival, trauma, and how we deal with pain.… Expand

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