Monday Morning Maybe

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

Poster for The Thief

The Thief

Seen it?

1997 | 96 min | Drama, Crime

Sunday Safe Betearly rating

Why it’s a Sunday Safe Bet

It earned strong reviews (88% on Rotten Tomatoes), though it had a box office loss and almost no 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 crime-drama fans. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
The mood
Dark and gritty.
The pace
Takes its time with its characters, at 1 hr 36 min.
What might put you off
  • Rated R: meant for adults.
  • It's in Russian, so expect subtitles (or a dub).
  • Audiences were cooler on it than critics.

Katya and her 6-year-old son Sanya, who, in 1952, meet a veteran Soviet officer named Tolyan. Katya falls in love with Tolyan, who turns out to be a small time criminal, but who also becomes a father figure to Sanya ...

How it earned its rating

  • CriticsStrong

    88% on Rotten Tomatoes

  • AudiencesSolid

    7.1 out of 10

  • AwardsBelow par

    Nominated for 1 Oscar.

  • Box office & staying powerWeak

    $1 million worldwide on a $2 million budget

  • Buzz & cultural impactWeak

    About 10K 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 Pavel Chukhray

  • Vladimir MashkovTolyan
  • Yekaterina RednikovaKatya
  • Mikhail FilipchukSanya
  • Yuri BelyayevOld Sanya
  • Amaliya MordvinovaDoctor's wife
  • Natalya PozdnyakovaБухгалтерша
  • Lidiya SavchenkoAunt Tanya
  • Anatoliy Koshcheev
  • Anna Shtukaturovathe limping girl
  • Ervand ArzumanyanAccountant