Siberia *** (2018, Keanu Reeves, Ana Ularu, Boris Gulyarin, Ashley St George, Pasha D Lychnikoff, Veronica Ferres, Elliot Lazar, Rafael Petardi) – Movie Review

Director Matthew Ross’s romantic crime thriller Siberia (2018) is nice and tough and dark, and overall pretty good. Though it has many rough edges, it easy to go along with it for the unusual ride.

Keanu Reeves is good value as American diamond trader Lucas Hill, whose Russian partner goes missing, and goes to find him in Siberia. As he tries to sell some questionable rare blue diamonds, he begins an obsessive love affair with a beautiful Russian café owner, Katya (Ana Ularu), but finds he is on the wrong side of some very bad Russian guys.

It may not exactly be a great movie – it’s not John Wick – but it is involving and entertaining, keeping you engrossed to the end. Director Ross makes it crisp, taut and atmospheric. You can just feel the cold in Siberia, though Reeves shot the film in Winnipeg and Marquette, both in Manitoba, Canada, in April 2017.

[Spolier alert] Brace yourself, for there is a shocking ending that takes everyone by surprise!

Also in the cast are Boris Gulyarin, Ashley St George, Pasha D Lychnikoff, Veronica Ferres, Elliot Lazar, Rafael Petardi and Ana Ularu.

It is an edgy movie with strong sexual content, nudity, strong language, some strong violence and some drug use.

The decent enough screenplay is by Scott B Smith, based on a story by Scott B Smith and Stephen Hamel.

© Derek Winnert 2018 Movie Review

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