Something Real

The first directorial effort from colorist Evar Anvelt is a pulse-pounding thriller about the perils of striving for connection and authenticity in our hypermediated world, adapted by Martin Algus from his own 2018 novel. Early on, Anvelt establishes a predator-prey dynamic between two men situated on opposite sides of a stark socioeconomic divide: Leo (Jan Uuspõld), a lonely, porn-addicted family breadwinner who surreptitiously trawls an online dating platform, seeking an escape from his downtrodden bourgeois existence; and Karl (Kristo Viiding), a hardened con artist newly released from prison, who will do whatever it takes to achieve the material prosperity he craves. Soon enough, Karl’s seemingly foolproof blackmail scheme devolves into a merciless, dog-eat-dog fight for survival, and the two men are locked in a cutthroat collision course, their fates now inextricably linked. Anvelt, who cites early Scorsese and the Safdie brothers as key influences, directs the film with a queasy, claustrophobic intensity, framing his characters in tight close-ups that magnify every emotion, and methodically ratcheting up the tension to fever pitch.