Murina (2022)
76%RT Audience Score: 61%
Awards & Nominations: NA
A coming-of-age story with a uniquely sunny noir spin, Murina deftly explores dark themes against a deceptively idyllic setting.
Murina is like a coming-of-age story, but with a twist of sunny noir. It’s like a dark chocolate bar with a sprinkle of rainbow sprinkles on top. The movie takes you on a journey through some heavy themes, but it’s all set against a backdrop that looks like it came straight out of a postcard. It’s like a beautiful painting with a hidden message. The way the story unfolds is so smooth, you won’t even realize you’re being taken on a rollercoaster ride of emotions. Murina is definitely a movie that will leave you thinking long after the credits roll.
Production Company(ies)
Endeavor Content, Foreign Language, RT Features, Sikelia Productions
Distributor
Kino Lorber
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
Filming Location(s)
Croatia
MPAA / Certificate
NR
Year of Release
2022
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby
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Aspect ratio:2.35 : 1
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Runtime:1h 34m
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Language(s):English, Croatian
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Country of origin:United States, Brazil, Croatia, Slovenia
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Jul 8, 2022 Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 13, 2022
Genre(s)
Drama
Keyword(s)
Murina, drama, Croatian, coming-of-age, noir, dark themes, idyllic setting, Antoneta Alamat Kusijanovic, directed by Antoneta Alamat Kusijanovic, Zdenka Gold, Danijel Pek, Martin Scorsese, Rodrigo Teixeira, produced by, Antoneta Alamat Kusijanovic, Frank Graziano, written by, Gracija Filipovic, starring Gracija Filipovic, Danica Curcic, Leon Lucev, Cliff Curtis, Jonas Smulders, Niksa Butijer, box office, $55.8K, Kino Lorber, MPAA rating, R, reviewed by, Scott Tobias, Ty Burr, David Sims, Peter Rainer, Dmitry Samarov, Sheri Linden, Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Alex Heeney, Manuela Lazic, Caitlyn Downs, Laura Clifford, Jordan Ruimy
Worldwide gross: NA
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): NA
US/Canada gross: NA
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend: $60
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $60
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,845
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Danica Curcic – Nela
Leon Lucev – Ante
Cliff Curtis – Javier
Jonas Smulders – David
Niksa Butijer – Pavo
Director – Antoneta Alamat Kusijanovic
Producers – Zdenka Gold, Danijel Pek, Martin Scorsese, Rodrigo Teixeira
Writers – Antoneta Alamat Kusijanovic, Frank Graziano
Director(s)
Antoneta Alamat Kusijanovic
Writer(s)
Antoneta Alamat Kusijanovic, Frank Graziano
Producer(s)
Zdenka Gold, Danijel Pek, Martin Scorsese, Rodrigo Teixeira
Film Festivals
Cannes, Toronto
Awards & Nominations
NA
Academy Awards
All Critics (76) | Top Critics (24) | Fresh (69) | Rotten (7)
Murina has an erotic charge similar to The Postman Always Rings Twice, the classic noir about a torrid affair between a charismatic outsider and the younger wife of a domineering man.
October 3, 2022 | Rating: 4/5
Scott Tobias
The Reveal
TOP CRITIC
Filipović is a real discovery: A rebel in a dazzling white swimsuit that’s like a middle finger raised to the patriarchy.
September 23, 2022 | Rating: 3/4
Ty Burr
Ty Burr’s Watch List
TOP CRITIC
Murina has a terrific keep-you-guessing plot, and Filipović’s performance firmly establishes her as a talent to watch.
August 3, 2022
David Sims
The Atlantic
TOP CRITIC
Wonderful scenery, some good performances, very moody and not quite as predictable as one would think when it starts out.
July 22, 2022
Peter Rainer
FilmWeek (KPCC – NPR Los Angeles)
TOP CRITIC
Despite all the beautiful water, sun, and half-naked bodies, what I was left with as the credits rolled was a mere trace memory of stylish vacuity.
July 21, 2022
Dmitry Samarov
Chicago Reader
TOP CRITIC
A gripping power struggle, from first moment to last.
July 15, 2022
Sheri Linden
Hollywood Reporter
TOP CRITIC
An intense and well-acted psychodrama about misogyny.
September 21, 2022 | Rating: 4.5/5
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
Spirituality & Practice
Antoneta Alamat Kusijanovic’s debut film, Murina, is a gorgeous, thoughtful exploration of teenage girlhood, abuse, and finding your own way out of oppression.
September 21, 2022
Alex Heeney
Seventh Row
Croatian filmmaker Antoneta Alamat Kusijanović expertly breaks down the forced servitude and the brutal familial mechanisms of a certain kind of Balkan machismo.
September 16, 2022
Manuela Lazic
Hyperallergic
An excellent central performance and composed, unhurried handling make Murina a film to get lost in.
September 10, 2022 | Rating: 4/5
Caitlyn Downs
ScaredSheepless.com
Antoneta Alamat Kusijanovic’s Camera d’or winning feature debut recharges the coming-of-age story with multi-generational sexual heat and a constant threat of danger in a sun-splashed, Adriatic setting.
August 28, 2022 | Rating: B+
Laura Clifford
Reeling Reviews
e coming-of-age tropes used here (blossoming sexuality, overprotective fathers, desire for freedom) can be traced back to countless better movies.
July 30, 2022 | Rating: C+
Jordan Ruimy
World of Reel…
Plot
On a remote island along Croatia’s Adriatic coast, 17-year-old Julija spends her days diving for eel with her domineering father Ante and watching other teens party on a nearby yacht. Julija bristles at Ante’s heavy handed cruelty and resents her mother Nela’s passivity. She longs for independence but is unsure how to achieve it, until the arrival of the rich and mysterious Javier seems to offer a way out. Javier is considering buying Ante’s land to build a resort, which would allow the family to escape their island isolation for the city. Once Ante’s employer and Nela’s lover, Javier flirts shamelessly with Nela and Julija, setting off a subtle battle of hypermasculine one-upmanship that pushes Ante to humiliate and control Julija even more. Flattered by Javier’s praise and stories of traveling the world, Julija sees him as the solution to all her problems. But does his affection portend freedom, or something more sinister?
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
In the Goofs section, Fresh Kernels notes that Cliff Curtis’ character Javier is supposed to be Latino in the film Murina, but in scenes where he is shirtless or wearing shorts, you can see his Maori tribe tattoos.
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