Teenage boy Misha attends hypnosis sessions with psychotherapist Volkov to recover from sleepwalking. As a result, Misha falls under the influence of a hypnologist to such an extent that he ceases to understand where reality is and where illusion is. After the mysterious death of one of Volkov’s patients, Misha decides to conduct an investigation to get to the bottom of the truth. But what if the dream and reality merged into one, and in the end he becomes the main suspect?
Acting
Sukhanov's hypnotically creepy therapist steals every scene.
Direction
Todorovsky blurs reality with subtle visual tricks.
Production
Bleak post-Soviet aesthetic amplifies the dread.

Director
Valery Todorovsky
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Reflects post-Soviet anxiety around institutional trust and medical authority corruption.
Todorovsky studied actual hypnotherapy techniques to make Volkov's methods disturbingly plausible.