Monday Morning Maybe

Add your email and we'll match picks to the services you stream at home.

Poster for The Return

The Return

Seen it?

2003 | 111 min | Drama, Mystery

Sunday Safe Bet

Why it’s a Sunday Safe Bet

Critics loved it (95% on Rotten Tomatoes), though it had soft box office and little lasting buzz. A safe bet when you want something reliable.

Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.

Is it for you?

Who'll love it
Made for anyone who likes to be kept guessing. If you loved My Own Private Idaho or Nebraska, start here. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
The mood
Tense.
The pace
Takes its time with its characters, at 1 hr 51 min.
What might put you off
  • It's in Russian, so expect subtitles (or a dub).
  • Audiences were cooler on it than critics.

Two young brothers in contemporary Russia are reunited with a father they know only from an old photograph after his sudden return from a long absence. With their mother’s reluctant consent, they set out on a remote trip that quickly becomes an uneasy test of authority, trust, and masculinity. As the journey moves deeper into the wilderness, the fragile bonds between father and sons are pushed to their limits.

How it earned its rating

  • CriticsVery strong

    95% on Rotten Tomatoes, 82 on Metacritic

  • AudiencesSolid

    7.3 out of 10

  • AwardsSolid

    Won 1 Venice award: Golden Lion. Plus 2 other awards.

  • Box office & staying powerBelow par

    $8 million worldwide; still draws a steady audience long after release

  • Buzz & cultural impactBelow par

    About 42K people sought it out in the past year

Trailer

More like this

Want more like this, picked just for you? Get my picks

Cast & crew

Directed by Andrey Zvyagintsev

  • Vladimir GarinAndrey
  • Konstantin LavronenkoFather
  • Nataliya VdovinaMother
  • Ivan DobronravovIvan
  • Lazar DubovikHooligan
  • Lyubov KazakovaGirl in the Mirror
  • Galina PetrovaGrandmother
  • Aleksey SuknovalovZavodila
  • Andrey SuminMan at Port
  • Elizaveta AleksandrovaOlya