It's just a lubricant. Stamping and stamping. From the real story of the maniac Popkov, little remains. It was not necessary, probably, to connect this narrative with the story about Chikatilo, introducing the same characters into this series, everything turned out too artificially and far-fetched. Well, those who watched both seasons of Chikatilo, for, so to speak, the fullness of the picture still should look at this next creation of Sarik Andreasyan. Well, if you don't look, you won't lose anything.
Fighting with a shadow or a stranger among his own
Many things in life we do out of habit. Without really delving into the context, in various situations we act on a whim, as we used to do before. Many Russian viewers continue to grumble about the quality of our films and TV series out of habit. And sometimes it looks strange: frankly weak foreign films are praised, and our great pictures are scolded. I cannot fully understand why this is happening. Why are our wonderful fairy tales that have flooded the screens lately being unwarrantedly criticized, and disgusting Hollywood fakes getting high scores? It is only by habit that I can explain it.
The same thing happens with Russian thrillers and dramas. Black, depression, darkness, as soon as they are not called. Moreover, if we are offered, for example, series about foreign maniacs (Black Bird or True Detective), then our viewer immediately becomes a hit, and stories about our past are mercilessly criticized. I think it is time to stop paying attention to this phenomenon. In fact, everyone watches domestic TV shows and likes them. Before writing the review, I specifically looked at the KP – Chikatilo’s Shadow has almost the highest rating in the filmography of Sarik Andreasyan, and this indicates the public’s interest in such projects. He got special attention from me as well. I haven't really seen it all yet, but I've seen it enough to make up my mind.
Shadow Chikatilo is a semi-documentary story about the capture of Mikhail Popkov (here Poptsov), who to this day is the bloodiest maniac in the history of our country. Yeah, a lot has been said about him. Pivovarov’s editorial staff told about him, blogger Sasha Sulim interviewed him, numerous trucreime podcasters disassembled his story by bones. So maybe there is nothing new that can be conveyed to the viewer? In fact, it turned out that to tell something new on a given topic is not just possible, but really do it interesting and exciting.
Briefly what the series is about. It's 1992. Once a huge country is going through critical times: everything is changing, law enforcement is in turmoil, people do not understand what the future holds for them. A lot of terrible things are happening in this country. The most high-profile event of the outgoing era is the capture of Andrei Chikatilo and the trial of him attracts the attention of a huge audience. Therefore, for the police major Lipyagin, who was transferred to the remote Irkutsk region for exceeding his powers, the incident becomes a real shock when a well-known Moscow journalist is found strangled on the Angarsk-Irkutsk highway. Is it a coincidence, an isolated incident, or the shadow of Chikatilo himself that started a new countdown? To investigate an unexpected and resonant case, Colonel Kovalev arrives in Angarsk, who proved himself during the hunt for Chikatilo. As the killings continue, Kovalev assembles a team of the country’s most experienced investigators to catch the killer. However, everything turns out to be much worse than the police could imagine.
Although many characters migrated from the first two seasons, the new faces managed to bring new breath to the dark narrative of scary things. Fyodor Lavrov, although more pleasant as a person, unlike the real Popkov, but the maniac in his performance is a truly frightening image from which you can expect anything. He brilliantly conveys the sinister essence of the werewolf in epaulettes, from which you could not expect all those abominations. I got goosebumps in the finale of the fifth series when I saw how daring and fearless this Poptsov was. He walks so skillfully on the edge that I can only imagine how difficult it will be to catch the main characters.
At first, I wondered why the name "Shadow of Chikatilo" was used. The story is completely different. The motives, motives, and methods of the hero of this series are completely different. But then, when I learned that this is another real nickname of the Angara maniac, everything fell into place. And how competently the authors managed to shift the emphasis on the new psychopath in the framework of one setting. After the third episode, you generally begin to forget that there is a trial of Chikatilo and a new story, albeit terrible, begins to drag you on and intrigue with its details.
The fact that this series is made on a real story adds to it points in terms of impact on the viewer. You understand that this is not just a story, behind every frame are real lives, nightmare tragedies. And it makes a lasting impression on you. Lovers of this kind will certainly be pleased. I was pleasantly surprised by the number of positive reviews. It turns out that our viewer and domestic filmmaker finally reach a new level of mutual understanding. Some are no longer shy to praise for excellent work, and the second do not cheat, and with full dedication release a quality product.
Of course, I can advise this series to anyone who is fond of criminal investigations, who likes to trace the entire step-by-step chain of thoughts and actions of the main protagonists, which leads to the capture of a maniac - the series is a must-see. In the meantime, in advance, but I give a strong appreciation. Anyway, I like the trend with such series.
1992. The Soviet Union ordered a long life and for the inhabitants of the once huge country came a completely new time. There is no understanding of what is happening around, no hope for a bright future. Someone manages to adapt to new realities, and someone does not. One thing remains unchanged: criminals do not sleep, and law enforcement officers try to prevent the onset of final chaos. One of the main characters, police major Lipyagin, was transferred by his superiors to Siberia for official offenses. Lipyagin is upset and thinks that once in Angarsk, he will become moldy for paperwork. But Eduard Konstantinovich cannot rest. On the highway Irkutsk-Angarsk find the body of a murdered journalist from Moscow. The case becomes resonant and the leadership sends Colonel Kovalev to help Lipyagin, who proved himself in the investigation of the crimes of Chikatilo himself. Kovalev does not suspect that very soon Angarsk will turn from a quiet Siberian town into a place where the most famous and most ruthless maniac in the history of new Russia operates.
It would be a mistake to judge this series by its cover. Despite its name, the story is about a completely different criminal and completely new crimes. Yes, the main characters were previously involved in the investigation of the crimes of Chikatilo, but here this fact is just the background. We are shown people who have a very strong character and determination. The country is no longer recognizable, the future is extremely vague, in the organs of confusion. It would be good to think about your future. But Colonel Kovalev and Major Lipyagin make a choice in favor of seeking justice and catching the maniac, sacrificing their personal lives (in a figurative sense, of course).
The series is extremely rare for today form of presentation. Basically, all the detective series of recent years are built on intrigue, when the viewer does not know the identity of the antagonist. Here we are introduced from the first frames to Poptsov (his role was played by the textured Fyodor Lavrov), and also reveal his motivation. The man simply decided to take on the role of a punitive and deliverer of society from unnecessary, in his opinion, elements. In his understanding, these are girls of easy behavior and other depraved persons. And now, throughout the series, we will watch with a sinking heart how the police and the maniac move towards each other: one must catch, the other must be caught. This is an interesting move that gives the series a new breath and a change of vector.
The shadow of Chikatilo takes a long time to harness, but it moves quickly. I’ve watched 4 episodes and I can tell you for sure that the fourth series flies much faster than the first. The tension that has hovered over the country over the new killings is felt through the screen. Not least because of good acting. What does it cost Kovalev to collect a team of specialists who must catch Poptsov? It is in this important moment and is the answer to the question why the series called the Shadow of Chikatilo.
Each of the main characters was involved in the capture of the Rostov maniac in one way or another. Someone the events of those days broke his life, someone ran out of strength, and someone does not want to go crazy. But the main character finds convincing arguments for everyone. And now that the whole team is assembled, the maniac will definitely not leave, despite the fact that he is a werewolf in epaulettes. Yeah, yeah. And this is not a spoiler, since most likely everyone has already heard about the Angara maniac. But few people know what efforts it took to catch this bloody maniac. But they did. And how they got it, and tells this atmospheric series.
Classy, serious, measured, intellectual - all this can be safely said about this series. Despite the fact that from the very beginning you know how the plot will end, watching the Shadow of Chikatilo is a pleasure. People who are struggling to keep society calm deserve great respect. And to look at their methods of work, albeit not without drawbacks (as in real life) is always interesting. Kozak, Vlaskin, Afanasyeva – they all returned to their well-known images and do not trample on the spot, but really develop and show themselves from a new, sometimes surprising, side.
9 out of 10
Having become famous throughout the country, and horrifying a considerable number of citizens of the largest country in the world, the maniac Chikatilo faces a fair and long-awaited trial. He turns the process into a crazy performance, bathing in the rays of so-called glory. Thousands of eyes are on him in the hope that this will not happen again and the crazy maniac will get what he deserves. It is in these conditions on the other end of the country, in the Irkutsk region, begin to occur brutal killings of women. At first, police major Lipyagin assumes that he is dealing with various crimes, but very quickly it becomes clear that this is a new cruel maniac. Colonel Kovalev arrives to help Lipyagin from Moscow, who is tasked with closing the case as soon as possible and preventing a repetition of events that are fresh in the memory of citizens of the USSR and Russia.
Based on real events, the story of a maniac from Angarsk starts immediately from place to quarry. Almost immediately, we are introduced to the person behind all crimes. And then they will show how the investigators caught the maniac.
The series is fine with the script, visual and sound! You can see that the screenwriters gain experience, and the film studios give to turn in full force. When the character of Dmitry Vlaskin (an experienced psychologist) appeared in the frame, it immediately became clear what the investigation will rely on.
The cast is level. On the bright side are investigators Lipyagin and Kovalev, who, according to the law of the genre, not everything is in order in personal perception. The characters are very convincing. They were brought to life by textured actors Masons and Kozak, on which police uniforms sit like infused. For the dark side here in the answer Fyodor Lavrov, who amused us with the children with his role of Koschei in the Pike order, and now easily inspires terror in the viewer with just a grin. An incredible transformation, worthy of respect, a wonderful actor!
Despite the bias of some critics on the Internet, I gave the series a chance and did not regret a minute. It’s better to watch one thing than listen to someone a hundred times. The series is very intense, the creators do not regret the audience in terms of the dynamics of the narrative, and I love it! Works like this series expand the boundaries of the genre and multiply the lists of excellent Russian TV series.
At the end of the day, the advice is 100% check it out. But start watching earlier than eight in the evening, as you will wake up deep past midnight, as I did, swallowing at once all available in the Okko series.
9 out of 10
It would seem that in the weekdays of the Rostov policemen, a moderate calm and transition to the mode of everyday routine are finally outlined. The main criminal of the country, Andrei Chikatilo, is caught and awaits a fair trial. But not everyone is happy with the methods of investigation. Police major Lipyagin for official crimes transferred to remote Siberia, the city of Angarsk. We may not know the fate of the fallen hero, but suddenly, in a quiet town of just over 200,000 people, young girls begin to be killed. And the most terrible thing is the new criminal’s handwriting exactly like the infamous Chikatilo. So what does that mean? They put the wrong guy in jail again? Or was it a violent copycat? Or does the new series have nothing to do with Chikatilo, and the investigators have already started mania and paranoia?
Colonel Kovalev is sent from Moscow to help Lipyagin. Now in the hands of these two reputations of all law enforcement agencies of the country. And at this time, the new-born criminal continues his bloody harvest!
When I first saw the title of the series Shadow Chikatilo, I immediately roughly understood what will be discussed in this criminal biopic. Of course, I could not ignore the story of the Angara maniac, which has already been studied in detail. Even during the investigation, over the murderer Popkov, he was given the nickname Shadow Chikatilo. Inspired by the exploits of his predecessor and making convenient conclusions for himself, he began to repeat the life path of a maniac from Rostov step by step. And given that for some time he worked in the bodies and had access to his own business, he managed to leave the hands of the police for a long time.
The title for the series was chosen very well. The main characters - Lipyagin and Kozak - absolutely everywhere the presence of a maniac caught by them. And the approach to crimes is the same, and the suspects are all very good family men. I have no idea what psychological pressure the main characters are in. It is not surprising that their personal lives are not mentioned in the series, as it simply can not be when you hang such responsibility. How they will cope with it is very interesting to learn from an artistic point of view, and not just from dry facts from podcasts.
The actors are all very well selected. Colonel Kovalev (Kozak) and Major Lipyagin (Kmasons) embody on the screen the harsh hardworking criminal investigators who have fallen into the trap of their own profession. Everyone around – the press, the authorities, and the public – are ready to let all the dogs down on them at the slightest oversight. But you have to act fast, so I understand why they make so many mistakes. And how good in the role of the main villain looks Lavrov. For me, he's just reincarnated. It looks especially contrasting with stories from his past.
After two episodes, there is little to say about the series in general. However, I have a desire to tell about the series to those who still doubt watching. Believe me, this is exactly what happened in life. There are no absolutely bad and absolutely good ones (except Poptsov). All the characters are in the gray zone with their pros and cons. But to watch how frightened, cornered and confused detectives take the trail and follow it for the scoundrel is incredibly fascinating. And when you realize that all this was actually happening at the turn of the century, the effect of what you saw increases. I really like it so far. This is at the level of our best crime series. I continue to review and analyze the whole story.
Unfortunately, the Russian land is rich not only in heroes.
Based on the real events of the high-profile case of the Angara maniac, the story begins with the fact that in the organs of the new Russia after the collapse of the USSR there is a certain shuffle. The memory of the mad Chikatilo is still fresh and from time to time some employees of the organs lose their nerves. One of these stumbled is Eduard Lepyagin, who was noted for his work in the capture of Chikatilo, and now fell out of favor because of his not entirely humane ways of interrogating suspects. Trying to hush up the hype, the leadership sends him to the city of Angarsk. However, very soon in this small Siberian town there will be a murder of a popular Moscow journalist, which will trigger a series of events that will glorify Angarsk throughout Russia and the stories from there will terrify the inhabitants of the country for almost twenty years.
It is a pity that due to the prejudiced attitude of the audience to our cinema, many projects do not receive worthy attention. For me, this has always been a mystery: why TV series like Chikatilo are not popular with our viewers, and many people ignore such projects. I think that our modern series on this topic are no longer inferior to our overseas colleagues in terms of quality, drama, or even acting. Therefore, as a lover of criminal podcasts and everything related to it, I always gladly start watching a new series with a confusing story about a maniac, where the main component is an intellectual duel between detectives and a criminal.
The Shadow of Chikatilo is a series by Sarik Andreasyan, who recently shines better with different facets of his talent. He equally makes great products on absolutely opposite topics. Here he explored the nature of insanity in his Chikatilo, here he sang an ode to classics in Onegin, and here he entertains children in his Robo. And if there are still those who roll their eyes at the mention of the surname Sarika, so these people are stuck like this in 2011, when Sarik dabbled in projects with primitive humor. Now Sarik Andreasyan is a great professional in his field, who is distinguished by enviable performance. In his new series, the author continues the story, which was told in two acts with Nagiyev and returns to the dark pages of our history. Judging by the first series, he does it quite successfully.
In the new series Sarika come to the fore, organ workers break the system and the post-Soviet hard reality. Colonel Kazakov (Nikolai Kozak) and Major Lipyagin (Oleg Kamenshchikov) are grated kalachi. They went through the exhausting hunt for Chikatilo together and are professionals in their field. However, new times require new solutions, and one of them goes on the rise, and the other on the contrary – goes to the outskirts of the country. But the bond that developed during the previous investigation has not gone away and will play a role in the future. And the future brings new challenges: a new series of murders begins in the quiet Angarsk. And the investigators can not understand – it began a mass hysteria and imitation of a famous maniac from mentally unstable loners or all waiting for a second, more terrifying series from an even more quirky maniac? There is nowhere to retreat and the main characters intend to use all their experience to catch a new villain. And although they see Chikatilo as a shadow everywhere, everyone understands that a new challenge can become even more terrible.
After watching the first series, I found myself thinking that watching Sarika’s new series was interesting. If I had the chance, I would love to include all the series. The actors are very suitable. The recreated atmosphere of early Russia with its problems skillfully escalates and gives the ground for a deeper analysis of the characters and their motivations. You know, absolutely on the level of Netflix and HBO series. And I say this from the heart and without sarcasm!
8 out of 10