SWEETIE, YOU WON’T BELIEVE IT (2020)

Sweetie You Won't Believe It (2020)
Directed by: Yernar Nurgaliyev
Written by: Alisher Utev, Anuar Turizhigitov, Daniyar Soltanbayev, Il'yas Toleu, Yernar Nurgaliyev, Zhandos Aibassov
Starring: Almat Sakatov, Asel Kaliyeva, Azamat Marklenov, Bekaris Akhetov, Daniar Alshinov, Dulyga Akmolda, Kadirgali Kobentay, Rustem Zhaniyamanov, Yerkebulan Daiyrov, Yerlan Primbetov

SWEETIE, YOU WON’T BELIEVE IT (2020)
Directed by Yernar Nurgaliyev
Russian and Kazakh Language with English Subtitles

Henpecked by his pregnant wife, Dastan decides to escape for the day and go fishing with two of his old buddies, sex toy salesman Arman and district policeman, Murat. However, during their not-so-successful fishing expedition, they accidentally witness a murder by a group of mobsters. Terrified by what they’ve just seen, the three friends run for their lives, but it seems someone much deadlier than the mobsters has plans for them all.

A mash of dry humour and slapstick, this comical horror comedy from Kazakhstan is a hoot of a film thanks to the three buddies who find themselves in the thick of it wherever they turn. Whether it’s coming across some weirdos running a local garage or attempting to fish and ripping their mate’s earlobe off, they’re an accident waiting to happen. Whatever they do, it’s likely to go belly up, but at least they all have good intentions unlike the mobsters. When we’re first introduced to the gang, they seem more lethal than they actually are, except for one who has a tendency to faint every time he witnesses something traumatic. It’s only when they kill a man do we realise how out of their depth they really are having never killed anyone before and not knowing how to react having done so accidentally. Unfortunately, kind-hearted Dastan and his buddies are none the wiser about the inept mobsters, and scramble out of their dinghy and makeshift raft of faulty blow-up dolls to escape being shot at themselves.

Visual gags, bickering dialogue and jaws being ripped apart are just some of the many pleasures which SWEETIE, YOU WON’T BELIEVE IT offers. Its charming blend will have you tittering one moment and grimacing with horror the next as it keeps the light-hearted vibe of the film on its toes with its threat of brutality just around the corner. Things really begin to heat up when Dastan gets word that his wife has gone into labour, so not only do they have to survive shotgun-wielding gangsters, they also have to get back in time or face the wrath of Dastan’s nagging wife, Zhanna. But with someone else hunting the mobsters and the friends out in the wilderness, they’re going to have to work together if they’re going to make it back in one piece. What will Zhanna have to say about it all?

A heap of lovable daftness that relies on certain horror tropes for scares, tension and laughs, SWEETIE, YOU WON’T BELIEVE IT is one of those films that you need in your film diet every now and then. A palate cleanser, if you will, but a highly enjoyable film in its own right that will no doubt put a smile across your face.

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