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Poster for The Postman's White Nights

The Postman's White Nights

Seen it?

2014 | 90 min | Drama

Sunday Safe Betearly rating

Why it’s a Sunday Safe Bet

Critics loved it (89% on Rotten Tomatoes), though it had almost no lasting buzz and a box office loss. 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
One for people who like stories about real, flawed people. One to watch when you can give it your full attention.
The mood
Thoughtful and character-driven.
The pace
Gives its people room to develop, at 1 hr 30 min. An easy one to fit in on a school night.
What might put you off
  • It's in Russian, so expect subtitles (or a dub).
  • Not the one if you want explosions or easy laughs.

The film represents life in a godforsaken Russian village. The only way to reach the mainland is to cross the lake by boat and a postman became the only connection with the outside world. A reserved community has been set up here. Despite the modern technologies and a spaceport nearby the people of the village live the way they would in the Neolithic Era. There is neither government nor social services or jobs. The postman's beloved woman escapes the village life and moves to the city. Postman's outboard engine gets stolen and he can no longer deliver mail. His normal pattern of life is disrupted. The postman makes a decision to leave for the city too but returns before long with no certain reason. The script is based on real characters' stories. People from the village play their own parts in the film. The search for the protagonist lasted for over a year.

How it earned its rating

  • CriticsVery strong

    89% on Rotten Tomatoes, 83 on Metacritic

  • AudiencesNot counted

    Not measured yet: not enough ratings

  • AwardsNot counted

    No major awards or nominations

  • Box office & staying powerBelow par

    $42K worldwide on a $1 million budget; still draws a steady audience long after release

  • Buzz & cultural impactWeak

    About 5K people sought it out in the past year

Trailer

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Cast & crew

Directed by Andrei Konchalovsky

  • Timur BondarenkoTimur
  • Irina ErmolovaIrina
  • Aleksey TryapitsynLyokha
  • Viktor KolobkovKolobok
  • Viktor BerezinVitya
  • Tatyana SilichTatyana
  • Valentina AnaninaValentina
  • Lyubov SkorinaLyubov Pavlovna
  • Alexandr Molchanovgeneral
  • Viktor Babichcolonel