Ürei

Ürei

Horror that leaves audiences in a state of deep shock

Kalima is growing up and has just fallen out of favour with her parents. As punishment, they take her to a remote village in the Kazakh countryside, where she is expected to look after her grandmother. At first, the two spend their time listening to music crackling out of a prehistoric radio, while her grandmother patiently and lovingly reassures Kalima that she shouldn’t let her parents’ harsh words get to her. But something dark soon creeps into their idyllic retreat, turning the stay at Grandma’s into a nightmarish ordeal.

The Kazakh film “Ürei” is one of those movies you’re best knowing next to nothing about before stepping into the cinema. That way, the shock and disbelief hit harder, and the viewing experience becomes all the more rewarding, even if that satisfaction comes mixed with sheer terror. A blend of thriller and horror, “Ürei” has no regard for the audience’s sensibilities or any notion of political correctness. Folk horror, psychological thriller, family drama: “Ürei” is all of these, while simultaneously forging its own storytelling rules. There’s a sense of melancholy, an oppressive atmosphere and a feeling of hopelessness running through this Kazakh horror, but above all, there’s the sheer audacity of telling a story that few filmmakers would even dare to imagine, let alone bring to the screen. “Ürei” is directed by Yerkezhan Baizhan, who also wrote the screenplay, expanding on the idea behind his 2024 short film of the same name.