Amid the lawless confusion of the recently imploded USSR, Anton (live-wire leading man Yuriy Borisov) and his gang are tough street youths who regularly vanquish urban rivals. With dominance comes the attention of  serious, ruthless gangsters higher up the food chain, especially for their leader “The Bull” who gained his nickname after a stint in prison. The subsequent rewards come with a heavy price, and soon Anton, his gang, his mother, strait-laced brother, and little sister are all in mortal danger. Unless the Bull can take the fight to them…

In this visceral, headshot of a movie, which takes inspiration from crime epics like “Goodfellas” (1990), director Boris Akopov never lets up the pace from the opening battle. His roving, handheld camera effectively makes the quasi war-zone of the Soviet landscape feel like a documentary. Gangster saga tropes are exploited to the full- from the loose cannon best friend to a touching but fragile romance.