Navalny (2022) Movie Review
If you haven’t been paying attention to the Russian political climate lately, you likely won’t recognize the name Alexei Navalny. But he’s definitely a name you should know and this documentary will give you a glimpse into his life. For those who don’t know, Navalny has been a player in Russian politics for years and is well-known for his anti-corruption platform. In 2020, he was poisoned by the Russian government (led by Putin). Footage shows Navalny collapsed and being wheeled into a hospital. His wife, Yulia, attempts to visit him in the hospital and is not allowed to see him for days. He makes a full recovery and goes on a mission to get proof that it was in fact the Russian government who tried to have him killed.
This quest makes up the majority of the movie as Navalny and his team, led by journalist Christo Grozev, track down flight manifests and at one point even get a Russian agent on the phone. To say it is thrilling is an understatement as you watch things unfold in real time. Director Daniel Roher conducts extremely insightful interviews with Navalny and pieces together a story that is so compelling you might want to watch it again. Navalny is charismatic and it’s easy to see how he gained such a high level of popularity in Russia. He is enough of a threat that Putin refuses to even utter his name in interviews. To his credit, Roher avoids coasting on the impactful story and even grills Navalny about his questionable affiliation with racist Russian nationalists.
Navalny traces the attempted murder of a high level political player, but it also has broader themes that will connect with audiences who aren’t as familiar with the Russian political climate (although with the Ukrainian invasion in 2022, we should all be pretty well versed by now). It provides insight into Navalny’s family life – he has a wife and two children and perfectly captures the toll of fighting for what you believe in. You get a complete picture of Navalny as a political figure but also as a human being. Navalny is still behind bars which makes this documentary and his story even more compelling.
You’ll like this movie if:
1. You like political dramas
2. You like mysteries laced with intrigue
3. You want to learn more about Russian politics
