With Fear without reproach: Stuck in the Woods and Psychopath from the Cannes Film Festival

Maria Smolnikova tries on the role of Vladimir Mayakovsky's muse. Karina Razumovskaya and Lyanka Gryu adapt to life in the mystical forest. The heroine of Daria Savelyeva returns to society after her imprisonment. Mike Monroe is committing bloody outrages. Chinese director Li Wenyu is experimenting with animation techniques to introduce the audience to the myth of the Qiang people. Izvestia shares details of the main new releases for the upcoming weekend.

Les, 18+

Directed by Hamlet Dulyan. Starring: Karina Razumovskaya, Lyanka Gryu, Nikita Kologrivy, Ekaterina Vasilyeva

Director Hamlet Dulyan masterfully convinces the viewer in his new film: the forest is a terrible place for those who do not know how to walk on it (quote from the novel by Svetlana Tulbasheva, based on which the script was written). The film, like the book, presents two parallel developing stories. In the center of one of the plots are two Muscovite women who got lost in the forest while traveling in Karelia. Another line tells about a family who moves into an abandoned village house, but is confronted with the hostility of the locals.

Many scenes of the film were shot in Karelia. Karina Razumovskaya talked about the tricks she performed on her own — these shots are literally saturated with genuine human fear. The nature in the film is shrouded in a mystical atmosphere. However, it's not the mysterious phenomena that are really scary. It is this feeling that keeps the viewer in suspense until the last minutes.

"The Psychopath", 18+

Directed by Zachary Wigon. Starring: Maika Monroe, Thomasin McKenzie, Jason Isaacs, Evie Templeton

The comedy horror takes viewers to England of the Victorian era. The seemingly decent main character Winifred Notty (Mike Monroe) considers herself the most adequate person in the world. In an attempt to turn over a new leaf, she arrives at the secluded Gothic manor of Ensor House and becomes a governess. Soon after, the servants begin to disappear under unexplained circumstances, which arouses reasonable suspicions among the owners. At the same time, Winifred clearly demonstrates psychopathic tendencies — she walks in her sleep, draws strange monsters in her diary and asks the children to call her "Fred." She longs to be a part of the family, no matter what the cost.

In May 2026, a project based on the novel of the same name by Virginia Feito was presented in the "Special Look" program of the Cannes Film Festival. The world press dubbed the picture "devilishly inventive bloodthirsty fun," noting that Monroe's game literally kills on the spot.

Novy Dom, 18+

Directed by Nikita Grushin. Starring: Daria Savelieva, Alexander Yatsenko, Vladimir Vinogradov, Kuzma Kotrelev

After seven years in prison, Anna gets a job at a garment factory with the help of a charitable foundation. However, the feeling of guilt for the past does not let go, and the search for a new meaning in life is not easy. She has no place of her own, no family. When it turns out that the nursing home where her mother-in-law is staying is in terrible condition, Anna finally finds a purpose and unexpected allies.

Nikita Grushin's feature-length debut is based on the idea of his previous short film, One Day of Alice. The project was curated by director Alexey German Jr. For the first time, "New House" was presented in the program of the Mayak Film Festival, and critics received the film positively, highlighting the touching story and the well-chosen acting ensemble.

"Lilya", 18+

Directed by Vera Storozheva. Starring: Maria Smolnikova, Evgeny Stychkin, Angelina Strechina, Andrey Maksimov

The personality of Lily Brick in the biographical drama is revealed through the prism of her relationship with Vladimir Mayakovsky. The main character on the screen was embodied by Maria Smolnikova. Evgeny Stychkin played the role of her husband Osip Brik, and Andrei Maksimov played Mayakovsky. The plot covers 15 years — from acquaintance with the poet to his death.

"The Story of Fire", 16+

Directed by Li Wenyu. Starring: Yang Haoyu, Zhou Xun, Kang Chunlei, Bei Ile

The plot is based on the legend of the Qiang people, "The monkey of Ranbiva steals fire." A human tribe freezes in a world shackled by ice. A monkey raised by humans will embark on a dangerous adventure to a Sacred Mountain, accompanied by a wolf named Doggie, in order to get a firestone.

The project won the AniMovie Award at the Stuttgart International Animation Festival. This is the world's first full-length cartoon created manually in 2D on traditional Chinese xuanzhi rice paper. Glass painting and frame-by-frame animation were also used for individual scenes.