Khoma Brutus(Leonid Kuravlyov)is ordered to say a prayer for three nights over the dead corpse of a young woman who in actuality is in league with Satan. He had met this one woman in the form of an old, haggard lady beating her with a stick due to her tormenting him with various witchcraft tricks at her disposal. In a little shack, covered with gray cobwebs, dust & portraits of Christ, Khoma will meet fear head on as she does witchcraftian theatrics with the coffin trying to shake him from his faith and the chalked protective circle he has made for himself. In the final night, she will call on countless ghouls, demonic spirits, and the very spirit of evil himself, Viy, to rattle Khoma's resolve. It's clear throughout that this theologian of the church is imperfect and flawed as he often tries to break free from those holding him at bay near this farm place so that he will carry out the mission set before him.
To be honest(..and fair), this felt more like a goofy cartoon than a thriving scary movie about one's facing pure evil with little escape other than facing the demons presented before him. It's very tongue-in-cheek and silly with Kuravlyov playing him almost as a fool who does not deserve the right of being placed in any position of warding the evil from a condemned soul. The final night provides some creepy looking demons, springing from all the hidden places. There are tons of visual gimmicks and tricks like how the witch's coffin floats in the air towards our hero. I just consider this a comedy fantasy with small horror elements using witchcraft.
To be honest(..and fair), this felt more like a goofy cartoon than a thriving scary movie about one's facing pure evil with little escape other than facing the demons presented before him. It's very tongue-in-cheek and silly with Kuravlyov playing him almost as a fool who does not deserve the right of being placed in any position of warding the evil from a condemned soul. The final night provides some creepy looking demons, springing from all the hidden places. There are tons of visual gimmicks and tricks like how the witch's coffin floats in the air towards our hero. I just consider this a comedy fantasy with small horror elements using witchcraft.