10 Russian TV shows of 2020, which are worth watching

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

An action movie about a woman killer, a comedy about an android policeman, a thriller about participants in a reality show and more.

10. Hope

• Russia, 2020 - present.
• Drama, action.
• Duration: 1 season.
• "KinoPoisk": 6, 6.

In the 90s, a teenage girl took revenge on the villains for the death of her parents. I just took a double-barreled gun and killed three men in the cafe. The mysterious Lion rescued the girl from prison. He called her Hope and made her work for himself. It took about 20 years. Nadezhda is happily married. According to the official version, she works as a flight attendant, in fact, she is a cold-blooded killer.

The series will appeal to fans of the "Brigade" or "Gangster Petersburg". This is a professionally made dark and effective action movie about the impossibility of leading a double life. The leading role of Victoria Isakova is very organic in the image of the Russian Nikita or Villanelle, who wants to leave the dirty business from the TV series "Killing Eve".

But do not think that this action movie is exclusively about the representatives of the criminal world. Director Elena Khazanova finds the origins of modern Russian reality in the 90s of the last century. Children of those difficult times cannot find themselves today. The dashing era left an indelible mark on them that did not allow them to lead an ordinary life.

9. Call center

• Russia, 2020 - present.
• Thriller, drama.
• Duration: 1 season.
• "KinoPoisk": 7, 2.

Moscow. High-rise business center. On the 12th floor of the building, there is a call center for an online store for adults. On the birthday of Kirill, one of the company's employees, unknown persons lock 12 people in the office. The perpetrators introduce themselves as Dad and Mom. Over the speakerphone, they inform their "children" that a bomb is hidden in the room. It will explode in 8 hours - and maybe even earlier, if one of those present does not obey the evil parents.

The confined space, human lives in the hands of powerful sadists, the brutal game with an unknown ending are reminiscent of the films of the Saw franchise. Scriptwriters and directors Alexei Chupov and Natalya Merkulova (Intimate Places and The Man Who Surprised Everyone) try themselves on small screens and explore the nature of power and the cost of human actions in a dynamic and intense thriller form.

8. Whirlpool

• Russia, 2020 - present.
• Thriller, drama, detective.
• Duration: 1 season.
• "KinoPoisk": 7, 3.

Moscow investigators find a flash drive with a creepy video in which a man in a black robe methodically and unhurriedly tortures a teenage girl with a blade. Even experienced police officers are impressed by the sight. A couple of days later, 11 corpses of adolescents are found in the city sewer. A maniac has appeared in the city.

The series combines elements of a dark detective story and a bright comic book. Most of the events unfold at night, and therefore on the screen there are illuminated road junctions, then neon lights of clubs and discos. Moscow appears to be Russian Gotham, in which parents have nothing to do with their children. Not knowing what to do with themselves, and feeling deep inner loneliness, teenagers actively use drugs and become easy prey for a serial killer.

7.257 reasons to live

• Russia, 2020 - present.
• Comedy, drama.
• Duration: 1 season.
• "KinoPoisk": 7, 3.

Zhenya Korotkova fought cancer for three years and won. True, the success was overshadowed by several unpleasant circumstances both at work and in personal life. But Zhenya is sure that she will definitely overcome all the troubles due to her optimism and energy. Once, as soon as the girl found out about the disease, she was advised to start a notebook and write in it as many reasons as possible to live and continue to fight. The list was significant: 256 points. The 257th appeared on the day of recovery - to find love.

"257 Reasons to Live" is a comedy and uplifting series. They cry here only because of the influx of feelings or from laughter. Having laughed enough at the stereotypes associated with cancer, the authors begin to take an interest in the topic of life after recovery, a new start. Zhenya's fear of death receded, and the realization of freedom and the possibility of finally fulfilling all her dreams came to her.

6. The last minister

• Russia, 2020 - present.
• Comedy.
• Duration: 1 season.
• "KinoPoisk": 7, 3.

The simpleton and loser Tikhomirov is appointed to the post of head of the fictitious Russian Ministry of Prospective Planning. They have long wanted to get rid of an unnecessary government body. The new minister is just a pawn in someone else's game, but he himself really wants to “surprise the country,” and therefore all his employees have to move. A fictional ministry has many opportunities and no responsibilities. They find tasks for themselves, and each of them is doomed to become a funny sketch.

The creator of the series, Roman Volobuev, claims to be inspired by Aaron Sorkin's News Service. And what happened is captivating with living heroes, witty dialogues and modern collisions. In one of the episodes, the Ministry of Prospective Planning repeals the law banning mat, in another - it is fighting the monument to Agnia Barto. Each new idea is funnier than the previous one.

5. Survival game

• Russia, 2020 - present.
• Thriller, adventure.
• Duration: 1 season.
• "KinoPoisk": 7, 7.

Participants of the TV reality show "The Survivor" go to the deserted and wild Siberian taiga - the winner will receive a solid 2 million euros. The company is motley: a cook, a jeweler, a plumber, an assistant to a deputy, a restaurateur, a photographer and others. There are even actors Alexei Chadov and Alexandra Bortich as themselves. On the first day, the participants, split into two teams, go through the obstacle course and get fire ("The Last Hero" is still alive). And the next morning there are no traces of either the host or the other members of the film crew. A real survival game begins with unfriendly locals and more.

It is interesting that the authors of the series bring together representatives of different classes of Russian society. They treat each other with open distrust or even hatred. Nevertheless, they have to unite against common threats in order to survive. In each new series, against the background of the nature of divine beauty (and the series was filmed in Abkhazia), the plot spins more and more, and the degree of madness is inexorably growing.

4. Project "Anna Nikolaevna"

• Russia, 2020 - present.
• Comedy, fantasy, drama.
• Duration: 1 season.
• "KinoPoisk": 7, 7.

Captain Anna Nikolaevna Korolkevich is beautiful, smart, fries delicious cutlets, but not a person. It was created by Russian scientists to serve in law enforcement agencies. For an internship, she is sent away from the capital, to an unremarkable police station. Its head is perplexed and frightened: Anna Nikolaevna costs 11 million euros, and her titanium insides must be hidden from her subordinates. And he succeeds in the latter. None of her male colleagues suspect that the pretty girl is actually an android. Together they will have to investigate funny and peculiar cases.

“The Anna Nikolaevna project” only pretends to be a detective, in fact it is a comedy. The charismatic characters, as well as the extremely relaxed and light tone of the narrative, will hardly let you get bored. Plus, a lot of pleasant surprises await the viewers: from time to time familiar media faces will appear on the screen.

3. Peace! Friendship! Gum

• Russia, 2020 - present.
• Drama, comedy, crime.
• Duration: 1 season.
• "KinoPoisk": 7, 8.

It's 1993. 14-year-old Sasha Ryabinin grows up in an honest, but poor family: his father-docent writes a big Russian novel and therefore does not bring money to the house, his mother is forced to support her relatives by selling clothes in the market. A teenager meets a red-haired girl Zhenya. She easily joins the company of Sasha and two of his friends - Vovka and Ilyusha. Every now and then they get involved in various crime stories and escape from local bandits. The life of the guys is already fun, but Sasha's uncle, the former Afghan Alik, bursts into it. The teenager does not yet know who he wants to become. The main thing is to be as fearless and charming as Uncle Alik.

The series vividly and vividly shows the maturation of several heroes at once in the 90s, repeating the cult paintings of that era in artistic form. The influence of Alexei Balabanov on the authors is especially noticeable. The look of a teenager allows you to brighten up the harsh realities and focus on incredible adventures, strong friendships and first love. The recognizable soundtrack becomes a pleasant addition: here are the hits of "Kino", "Nautilus", Tatiana Bulanova and Shura.

2. Chiki

• Russia, 2020 - present.
• Drama, comedy, crime.
• Duration: 1 season.
• "KinoPoisk": 7, 9.

Dark Sveta, blonde Marina and red-haired Luda earn money by prostitution on a federal highway somewhere in the south of Russia. They live in a small town where everyone knows everything about their neighbor. Once there were four of them, but the most daring of the girls - Zhanna - went with her son to her boyfriend in Moscow. And now she returns to her native land in a red Mini Cooper. The goal is to open your own fitness center.

None of the four girls are deprived of screen time. Each has its own interesting story arc: we gradually learn about the past, we begin to understand the reasons for certain actions. At the same time, Irina Nosova and Varvara Shmykova are in no way inferior in acting to the more famous Alyona Mikhailova and Irina Gorbacheva.

The author's project of Eduard Hovhannisyan captivates not only with this, but also with its bright aesthetics and stylish manner of shooting. Colorful details - the scorching sun, rivers, watermelons, Cossacks, horsemen and low cars - are perfectly woven into the plot.

1. Smeshariki. New season

• Russia, 2020 - present.
• Cartoon for children.
• Duration: 1 season.
• "KinoPoisk": 8, 9.

In the life of Krosh, Hedgehog, Kopatych, Pina and other smeshariki nothing has changed. These are the same charming and hilarious characters as 15 years ago. But now the series is being released exclusively on KinoPoisk HD, so formally this is the first season of the renewed project.

Separate episodes of the season are a cut of musical numbers, psychological horror or romantic comedy. The spectrum is impressive. In general, "Smeshariki" remained a brilliant postmodern TV series with bright animation, an abundance of references to works of art and simple and understandable values. So yes, it is not only for adults but also for children.