The Vourdalak

Description

The Vourdalak — Based on the novella by Aleksey Tolstoy — a member of the legendary Tolstoy literary dynasty — this film is a striking example of arthouse horror that defies genre boundaries.

When the patriarch, old Gorcha, leaves to fight outlaws, he delivers a chilling ultimatum: if he doesn’t return within six days, his family must never let him back in. Amidst this tension, a lost French diplomat, Marquis d’Urfé, seeks refuge in their remote home.

What begins as a surreal, atmospheric journey with touches of dark comedy soon evolves into a haunting elevated folk horror. As the story progresses, the whimsical tone dissolves into a grim and heartbreaking nightmare, proving that auteur cinema can be as visceral as it is profound.

A Hidden Literary Gem: Written in French in 1839 while Tolstoy was just 21, this story remained a secret for over a century. It was first published in Russian in 1884, nine years after the author’s death, but the original French manuscript didn’t see the light of day until 1950 — 111 years after it was penned.