The short: Well crafted story told in a short time with good use of the "huit-clos". Watch in original Russian is a must.
The long: I am not even going to attempt doing a "proper" review because I think I am ill-equipped to do one at this point concerning this specific film.
Indulge me with this bit: Being bilingual I always enjoy when films where characters speak in my original mother tongue (not Russian) and see how the on-screen subtitles "interprets" them. For example the TV shows "Three Pines" and "The Sticky", where these were shot in English, but also have characters speak in "French", or rather Québécois.
The "lingo" of each language is unique, and more often than not when reading subtitles (or a translated version) we get, at best, an interpretation crafted to fit with the scene and dialogue more than a real actual (literal) translation.
So I always get a chuckle or a blown out hard laugh when I hear characters speaking in Québécois and reading how it was translated in English in the subtitles, because (especially in Québécois, I guess) some expressions are just too unique and there is not an exact "other language" translation.
This is also why I refuse to watch translated movies and always watch any film in their original language with subtitles. The original language showcases exactly how good (or bad) the actors are, and how they use said language to convey emotion.
RYAD 19, while not without it's flaws, is most definitely is a better movie in it's original language even though I felt that, at times, the "translation" (subtitles) did not exactly convey what the characters were saying, for the above mentioned reasons.
That being said the film basically wastes no time per se getting right into the story, presenting us with an introductory scene which explains precisely the lead character's personality in the remainder of the movie.
Quite cleverly actually the character is slowly unraveling before our eyes through her actions in the "now" and never once feels like there is a need for overdrawn-out scenes of exposition. The film mostly does this through visuals.
The film also benefits for being mostly an ensemble cast as most of it is set in an enclosed environment, where our characters are stuck in with each other, without outside contact or communication... and yes, I have been a fan of "huit-clos" environments in films for a very, very long time.
The film also benefits from not trying to rely too much on special effects in order to build it's atmosphere. Yes there are moments when CGI is required due to the subject matter itself, and to also help bridge the gap between reality and "imaginary", but the film never overuses it just for the sake of doing so.
Intriguingly I also felt the film wasn't trying to overdo trying to express it's own "culture" (as many non-USA productions sometimes can) but tried to feel like an "international" mood. Obviously there are social mores in the film which may feel a bit "alien" to people who aren't versed in international cinema, but these felt rather minimal for the most part.
Perhaps the greatest strength of the film is not revealing all it's cards within the first "acts", leaving most viewers guessing for the most part. Granted when trying to craft a story as this one, it is difficult for some not to pick up on subtle clues left by the film maker, so some viewers may see the "end reveal" coming a mile away.
What also plays in the film's favor is it's short running time. Instead of padding it with overly expanded scenes which could maybe provide more in terms of character development or their relationships to each other, the film prefers to quickly establish them, and get the story rolling.
Maybe that is one of the film's flaws: the characters are quickly presented and feel rather 2-dimentional and "the usual stereotypes" you find in many films. I won't spoil it for you but surely as soon as we get the ensemble presented you will immediately be able to guess who is who and what they'll eventually end up "being" in the story. However as previously said, the film doesn't try to go off the rails nor to give you detailed characters, just enough of them to get the story going.
However the acting is great. Every actor plays their part well and all make it quite believable. Kudos to "the little girl" who ends up quite remarkable and never feels like she is not the character she portrays.
There was one moment early on where I had to pause and said to myself (concerning the score) "This feels like Bernard Herrmann with waves of John Barry". This was unfortunately an anomaly as the film score isn't consistent in terms of style, but is in no way detrimental to it. In fact the score does a great job of augmenting and supplementing the various moods and atmospheres during the film, so a special commendation is noted to that department.
So while not a masterpiece, and still considered a "horror-thriller", the film is not just competent on all aspects, but is also feels as though there is some heart and soul into it, where it could have easily fallen into the "schlock" department. The subject matter is treated with care and dignity, the story is well crafted and allows for slow moments lingering on images making you wonder if things are as they appear to be.
In conclusions, watch it in it's original Russian with subtitles and allow yourself to be "entertained" with an uncommon yet accessible narrative, in the hopes you will allow the film's cinematographic "language" speak it's mood and atmosphere to you.
