Murina movie review & film summary (2022)


The coming evening is a special one. Ante is eager to welcome his old friend Javier (Cliff Curtis), a master of industry and wheeler-dealer of the first stripe, to dinner. He hopes to sell his land to “Javi” and quit the spear-fishing life (the movie’s title is a word for a Mediterranean moray eel) for an apartment in Zagreb. Julija, for all intents and purposes a kind of mermaid, bristles at the notion of life away from the sea.

Both her mother and father take exception to her walking around the house and its grounds in her white one-piece bathing suit. Ante makes an offensive remark, mother Nela (Danica Curcic) tells Julija she’s “naked.” The statuesque Filipović plays a young woman who’s fairly unselfconscious of her body despite being at an age where everyone else seems unable NOT to notice it (including one of the mooks on the party yacht). And when the rugged, worldly Javier arrives, he notices it too.

Not in anything like an overtly creepy way. But as his visit goes on, Julija learns about the past shared not just by Javier and Ante, but Nela as well. Rooting through Javier’s travel bag, she is bemused to find a copy of Business Week with Javier as the cover star in it. She discovers a potentially more unsettling object as well. Her interactions with the adult trio only stoke her rebelliousness, punching and poking at her sense of self. While she loves the water, she can’t really take her family anymore. And as Ante experiences her increasing disdain for him, he himself grows increasingly brutal.

Kusijanović and cinematographer Hélène Louvart share an acute eye for landscapes; this widescreen film is best appreciated on as expansive a screen as possible. “Murina” is a slow burn of a movie, one that doesn’t end in a detonation but with an enigma. Nevertheless, it’s one of the more coherent and satisfying narrative releases of the year.

Now playing in select theaters.

You can view the original article HERE.

Fletcher Cox Says Jason Kelce Would Root For Eagles Over Chiefs In SB LIX Matchup
Fletcher Cox Says Jason Kelce Would Root For Eagles Over Chiefs In SB LIX Matchup
AEW Star Saraya Splits From Ronnie Radke After 6 Years
AEW Star Saraya Splits From Ronnie Radke After 6 Years
Guess Who This Lil’ Beach Boy Turned Into!
Guess Who This Lil’ Beach Boy Turned Into!
The best star-studded Super Bowl commercials of all time, from Cindy Crawford sipping a Pepsi to Ben Affleck and the DunKings
The best star-studded Super Bowl commercials of all time, from Cindy Crawford sipping a Pepsi to Ben Affleck and the DunKings
Sundance Film Festival 2025 Preview: 20 Films We Can’t Wait to See | Festivals & Awards
Sundance Film Festival 2025 Preview: 20 Films We Can’t Wait to See | Festivals & Awards
Acclaimed Crime Comedy ‘Ludwig’ Is Coming to Britbox
Acclaimed Crime Comedy ‘Ludwig’ Is Coming to Britbox
The 10 Best Erotic Horror Movies, Including ‘Nosferatu’
The 10 Best Erotic Horror Movies, Including ‘Nosferatu’
The Metaphor Years: Writing Lessons from “The Twilight Zone” | Features
The Metaphor Years: Writing Lessons from “The Twilight Zone” | Features
Timothée Chalamet on where he keeps his ‘Dune’ popcorn bucket
Timothée Chalamet on where he keeps his ‘Dune’ popcorn bucket
Mantra Of The Cosmos cancel gig as Zak Starkey suffers leg condition
Mantra Of The Cosmos cancel gig as Zak Starkey suffers leg condition
Joey Bada$$ appears to diss J. Cole on new track ‘Sorry Not Sorry’
Joey Bada$$ appears to diss J. Cole on new track ‘Sorry Not Sorry’
Whitesnake and Thin Lizzy guitarist John Sykes has died, aged 65
Whitesnake and Thin Lizzy guitarist John Sykes has died, aged 65
Ravens’ Ricard: Lamar winning Super Bowl is ‘inevitable’
Ravens’ Ricard: Lamar winning Super Bowl is ‘inevitable’
Unveiling the Variety of Sporting Events from Football to Tennis and Beyond
Unveiling the Variety of Sporting Events from Football to Tennis and Beyond
Lamar angry with postseason performance: ‘Tired of this shit’
Lamar angry with postseason performance: ‘Tired of this shit’
Hurts confident he’ll play in NFC title game despite knee injury
Hurts confident he’ll play in NFC title game despite knee injury
‘Back in Action’ Director & Star Almost Died Making the Movie
‘Back in Action’ Director & Star Almost Died Making the Movie
The One Consistent Thing On Fire Country Is That Bode Will Always Be Portrayed As A Hero No Matter The Circumstance
The One Consistent Thing On Fire Country Is That Bode Will Always Be Portrayed As A Hero No Matter The Circumstance
Netflix's 'Back in Action' Ending, Explained
Netflix's 'Back in Action' Ending, Explained
Clayface Gets the Proper Mondo Treatment With a New ‘Batman: The Animated Series’ Figure
Clayface Gets the Proper Mondo Treatment With a New ‘Batman: The Animated Series’ Figure
Crime London Presents Fall/Winter 2025 Collection at Pitti Uomo 105th Edition
Crime London Presents Fall/Winter 2025 Collection at Pitti Uomo 105th Edition
Your Sparkling Guide To Valentine’s Day Jewelry Gifts!
Your Sparkling Guide To Valentine’s Day Jewelry Gifts!
Top Showroom Founders Share The Secrets To Their Success!
Top Showroom Founders Share The Secrets To Their Success!
Fashion Reacts To TikTok’s Ban, Heidi Montag’s Major Comeback!
Fashion Reacts To TikTok’s Ban, Heidi Montag’s Major Comeback!