X
  • 2023
  • MUBI
  • 1 h 37 m
  • 2023
  • MUBI
  • 1 h 37 m
Unclenching the Fists

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 pa...

Directed By: Kira Kovalenko

Written By: Lyubov Mulmenko, Anton Yarush, Kira Kovalenko

  • 2023
  • MUBI
  • 1 h 37 m
  • 2023
  • MUBI
  • 1 h 37 m

Unclenching the Fists

Metascore Generally Favorable Based on 10 Critic Reviews
68
User Score Available after 4 ratings
tbd
My Score
Hover and click to give a rating Saved

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 pa...

Directed By: Kira Kovalenko

Written By: Lyubov Mulmenko, Anton Yarush, Kira Kovalenko

Top Cast

View All
View All Cast & Crew

Critic Reviews

 View All
Metascore
Generally Favorable Based on 10 Critic Reviews
68
70% Positive
7 Reviews
30% Mixed
3 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews

  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews

Critic Reviews

 View All
Metascore
Generally Favorable Based on 10 Critic Reviews
68
70% Positive
7 Reviews
30% Mixed
3 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews

  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews
80
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.
By Phil Hoad FULL REVIEW
79
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.
By Steve Pond FULL REVIEW
75
Sep 12, 2021
Unclenching the Fists is a tale of how the desolation of a nation inhabits and engraves a woman’s body.
By Diego Semerene FULL REVIEW
75
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.
By Ryan Lattanzio FULL REVIEW
67
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.
By Rory O'Connor FULL REVIEW
60
May 25, 2023
Ada’s psychological tumult is captured in intimate close-ups and fluttering camera movements, while the absence of a score complements the film’s uneasy mood of pent-up rage and stifling despair.
By Beatrice Loayza FULL REVIEW
50
Jul 17, 2021
Overall, the film’s treatment of a sensitive scenario lacks subtlety, making for a tough and taxing viewing experience.
By Demetrios Matheou FULL REVIEW

User Reviews

There are no user reviews yet. Be the first to add a review.

Details

 View All
Production Company AR Content, Non-Stop Productions, Wild Bunch International
Release Date May 26, 2023
Duration 1 h 37 m
Genres
View All Details

Awards

Russian Guild of Film Critics
• 3 Wins & 5 Nominations
Nika Awards
• 5 Nominations
Denver International Film Festival
• 1 Win & 2 Nominations

Related Movies

Tokyo Story

100
Universal Acclaim

Citizen Kane

100
Universal Acclaim

Boyhood

100
Universal Acclaim

Three Colors: Red

100
Universal Acclaim

The Godfather

100
Universal Acclaim

The Conformist

100
Universal Acclaim

The Leopard (re-release)

100
Universal Acclaim

Lawrence of Arabia (re-release)

100
Universal Acclaim

Dekalog (1988)

100
Universal Acclaim

Casablanca

100
Universal Acclaim

Notorious

100
Universal Acclaim

Fanny and Alexander (re-release)

100
Universal Acclaim

Touch of Evil

99
Universal Acclaim

Army of Shadows

99
Universal Acclaim

City Lights

99
Universal Acclaim

Moonlight

99
Universal Acclaim

Intolerance

99
Universal Acclaim

The Rules of the Game

99
Universal Acclaim

Seven Samurai

98
Universal Acclaim

The Wild Bunch

98
Universal Acclaim

Au hasard Balthazar

98
Universal Acclaim

Pépé le Moko (re-release)

98
Universal Acclaim

Related News

2024 Movie Release Calendar

2024 Movie Release Calendar

Jason Dietz

Find release dates for every movie coming to theaters, VOD, and streaming throughout 2024 and beyond, updated weekly.

  • movie
Every Zack Snyder Movie, Ranked

Every Zack Snyder Movie, Ranked

Nick Hyman

With the arrival of Zack Snyder's latest Rebel Moon chapter on Netflix, we rank every one of the director's films—from bad to, well, less bad—by Metascore.

  • movie
Every Guy Ritchie Movie, Ranked

Every Guy Ritchie Movie, Ranked

Nick Hyman

We rank every one of the British director's movies by Metascore, from his debut Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels to his brand new film, The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare.

  • movie
April Movie Preview (2024)

April Movie Preview (2024)

Keith Kimbell

The month ahead will bring new films from Alex Garland, Luca Guadagnino, Dev Patel, and more. To help you plan your moviegoing options, our editors have selected the most notable films releasing in April 2024, listed in alphabetical order.

  • movie
DVD/Blu-ray Releases: New & Upcoming

DVD/Blu-ray Releases: New & Upcoming

Jason Dietz

Find a list of new movie and TV releases on DVD and Blu-ray (updated weekly) as well as a calendar of upcoming releases on home video.

  • movie