Shugaley

This story is not a figment of the scriptwriters’ imagination; these are real living facts. New Russian action movie Shugaley is a story about the war that is going on today. The film is based on real events taking place in Libya today. Two Russian social scientists, Maxim Shugaley and Samir Seifan, are invited to the conflict-torn country to carry out a public opinion research. In the course of their work, they come over the information, that would be damaging to the puppet government if made public. Russians are kidnapped and tortured in a private prison for more than a year. The situation cannot be resolved peacefully, so the Russian side is preparing a rescue operation.

Directed by Denis Neimand, Shugaley leans on a strong ensemble — Kirill Poluhin, Oleg Abalyan, Sergey Yatsenyuk — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about action titles of 2020.