What happens when you put several people each running from their own demons together in an empty resort in the middle of a frozen field with no witnesses within sight or reach? They are forced to face their demons and resolve them!

This movie is very Russian but not soviet for which I applaud it. It lacks the pointless theatrics and dull mundane time fillers i have come to expect with their scripts. Instead, it offers a good scenic backdrop and begins to feed in the characters to you with just enough time in between them so you can keep track and get to know them before the next one arrives. Think of this movie as a very very loose "hateful eight", Russian style. Everybody has a secret they must reckon with. The price for some, is higher than for others.

Vlad lives alone on a huge government property that is shut down for winter. With no soul in sight his only companion is a dog called Bandit. When Bandit disappears Vlad doesn't seem to have anything left to live for... until two strange guests appear at his front door.

Yuriy Bykov is probably the most fresh thinking and focused director in Russia these days. Always examining serious issues of Russian soul or certain ways of life (including major government criticism) he remains true to his entertainment roots, delivering a plot full of mystery and suspense. It is not surprising that his indie film MAJOR had been adapted to the Netflix series 7 SECONDS. He knows how to design an unmissable pitch!

Bykov's skills aside, THE GUARD is probably the most personal film for him. While there's still a crime or a criminal storyline typical of his films, it's a theatrical drama where characters face ultimate choices and struggle with the consequences. Revealing just enough to keep us guessing GUARD is full of surprises. There are films out there with unfulfilled potential but GUARD is the opposite of this It overdelivers for such a small film, makes you think where you don't really expect to think, and makes you want to talk to someone about what you've seen after the credits roll.

Without question GUARD is a small/big film that worth a look. If there's a chance to catch it during the international film festival this year please do so.