Few (good) movies have been made about what life was like on the other side of the mid-20th century’s “Iron Curtain.” Based on a best-selling novel of the same name, the forthcoming film, Child 44, looks to be an interesting take on that specific time period and cultural climate.

From The AV Club:

What better way to celebrate the arrival of spring than with a film that places you squarely in the icy tundra of Soviet-era Russia? That’s what the people behind Child 44 are betting on, anyway. The thriller, which opens April 17, stars Tom Hardy, Gary Oldman, and Noomi Rapace alongside a pretty great supporting cast that includes Jason Clarke, Charles Dance, Vincent Cassel, and many others.

The subject matter – the hunting of a serial killer – sounds intense, and the “R” rating confirms that it will not be a movie for the whole family. But Russian history, literature and culture are things that have always garnered my attention. I believe they deserve our attention. From Dostoevsky to Solzhenitsyn, from the last Czar to Putin, there are invaluable lessons for all of us directly pertaining to what happens when a nation gives up on God.

One thing that stood out to me from the trailer for this new film is the line that Tom Hardy delivers to the his friend – the father of one of the killer’s young male victims.

“You have to be quiet. There is no murder in this country…there is no murder in this country. Do you understand?”

Can you imagine living in such conditions? Can you imagine not being able to speak about your own son’s murder simply because it would give off the impression that your government did not know what it was doing – that it was fallible?

I can’t recommend this film or discourage you from seeing it, but I will be there opening night (April 17). Review to follow!