Child 44
Child 44

Movie spotlight

Child 44

2015
Movie
137 min
English

Set in Stalin-era Soviet Union, a disgraced MGB agent is dispatched to investigate a series of child murders -- a case that begins to connect with the very top of party leadership.

Insights

IMDb6.4/10
Rotten Tomatoes27%
Metacritic41/100
Google Users55%
Director: Daniel EspinosaGenres: Action, Crime, Drama, History, Thriller, War

Plot Summary

In the Soviet Union of 1953, disgraced MGB agent Leo Demidov is banished to a remote outpost after being accused of treason. While there, he becomes entangled in a series of child murders that the government insists do not exist. Demidov must uncover the truth behind these heinous crimes and expose the killer, all while battling the pervasive paranoia and oppressive regime of Stalinist Russia.

Critical Reception

Child 44 received largely negative reviews from critics, who often criticized its convoluted plot, uneven pacing, and historical inaccuracies. While some performances, particularly Tom Hardy's, were noted positively, the film was generally seen as an underwhelming and muddled attempt at a historical thriller.

What Reviewers Say

  • Praised for Tom Hardy's committed performance and its atmospheric setting.

  • Criticized for a convoluted, slow-moving plot and a lack of narrative clarity.

  • Seen as a missed opportunity that fails to deliver a compelling thriller despite its promising premise.

Google audience: Audience reviews indicate a mixed reception, with many appreciating the film's attempt at a historical thriller and Tom Hardy's lead performance. However, a significant portion of viewers found the plot to be confusing and overly long, leading to a feeling of dissatisfaction.

Fun Fact

The film's depiction of Soviet life and history faced criticism for numerous inaccuracies, with many historians and Russian viewers pointing out significant deviations from reality.

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My Review

TMDB Reviews

3 reviews
GenerationofSwine

GenerationofSwin...

Despite Oldman's involvement, it lacks all the dark charm of HBO's Citizen X. There is less of a dual examination of both the system of the USSR and Chikatilo, and the film suffers from that. It's a little less compelling, the situation ...

Filipe Manuel Neto

Filipe Manuel Ne...

**An overly ambitious film, but still an interesting one.** Honestly, I expected a little more from this movie. I found it on television, just by chance, but I had already heard about it, I'm not sure for what purpose, but I had the impr...

Reno

Reno

**A war hero who turned a police officer struggles with his departmental feud.** It is a strange title. In the narration as well it does not properly reveals, more like an approximate count of something. It is a Russian story, I mean the...