The detective thriller “Inside the Killer” will open in the online cinema “Kinopoisk” on February 22.

The series is based on the international book hit of the same name by writer Mike Ohmer.

The director was Vladimir Mirzoev, who previously worked on the “Swamp” project.

He adapted the script together with his daughter Anastasia Mirzoeva.

The action of the film is moved from bookish Chicago to St. Petersburg, where a serial killer is operating.

A maniac popularly nicknamed “The Undertaker Strangler” kills young girls, embalms their bodies, puts on makeup and leaves them in public places in different poses, creating strange art objects.

The Investigative Committee involves one of the best profilers in the country, Zoya Volgina, in the case.

Zoya began to get involved in forensic science as a child, when a serial maniac appeared in Troitsk.

She is familiar with the killer’s “handwriting” - she has already encountered a similar phenomenon in the past.

Special employee of the Investigative Committee Timofey Volokhov will help her.

He was recently transferred to the behavioral analysis department, and now he is trying to find a common language with Zoya in order to speed up the investigation.

But getting close to Volgina is not so easy: work captivates her more than communication.

She is sociopathic and does not know how to approach people.

Zoya is obsessed with her work - she mentally gets into the head of a psychopath to understand his motives and suggest further actions.

But this time the game of “cat and mouse” will not be easy, because the killer is careful, carefully thinks through his actions and leaves no traces.

Zoya Volgina in the series was played by Anastasia Evgrafova (“How Zakhar’s Friends Got Married”), and the role of her new partner Timofey was played by the star of the “Major Thunder” franchise Tikhon Zhiznevsky.

Both artists perfectly matched the images of their characters.

Evgrafova definitely fell into the character of Zoya - unsociable, reserved, preferring to express the cruel truth in person, attentive to details and completely uncommunicative in situations not related to work.

Timofey appears to the viewer as an easy-going, sociable guy who knows how to make anyone talk, a charming womanizer.

Despite his frivolity, he is serious in his work, although not as attentive as Zoya.

It seems that people so different will not be able to get along, but it is their opposite that becomes the main key to understanding each other.

The appearance of the characters fully conveys their character.

Zoya wears monochromatic and nondescript outfits - usually trousers, T-shirts and pullovers, which hide her femininity and make the viewer understand that appearance is not important for the girl, since she is absorbed in her work and thoughts of a killer.

Her appearance also clearly hints at the heroine's closeness.

But Timofey’s earring and side-swept hairstyle make it clear that the character is open to experimentation.

By the way, the hero’s grandfather (Sergei Shakurov) also wears piercings: apparently, recklessness is in Volokhov’s blood.

  • © Still from the series “Inside the Killer” (2024)

It is clear that the costume and makeup artists did a serious job, and not only in connection with the appearance of the main characters.

For example, the embalmed victims are especially impressive; when you look at them, it’s hard to believe that they are being played by real actors.

They all look like mannequins.

This surprises and at the same time evokes exactly the emotions that are expected when watching the series - anxiety, fear, but at the same time intrigue and curiosity.

There is no doubt that the story will hook many viewers, especially if they are familiar with the original source, which has become a bestseller on the Russian book market.

Domestic filmmakers perfectly adapted the script, developed prototypes of the heroes and the maniac, and created a high-quality project with a frightening mood.

The series reveals two stories in parallel - the one that is currently happening in St. Petersburg, and Zoya’s past in Troitsk, which relates both to new murders and to the understanding of the character.

It is interesting and unusual that the authors of the series give the public the opportunity to plunge into the world of the criminal - from the very first episode, frank and terrifying moments are periodically shown on the screen in which the maniac kills his next victim and makes all his secret fantasies come true.

In one of the scenes, the murdered woman seems to come to life and talk to the killer, thanks to which the viewer can see what is happening through the eyes of a psychopath.

At the same time, the face of the antagonist himself is not visible: on the screen he appears either in a sweatshirt with a hood on his head, or with his back.

The Undertaker Strangler is also shown to be meticulous about concealing his appearance by applying makeup every day.

The anxious and tense atmosphere is enhanced by the grayness of St. Petersburg.

The picture looks dark and cold, and the bright details in the victims' makeup and clothing only emphasize the monotony of the streets.

Water is an important element in the story - apparently, it is of great importance for the maniac, since most often he leaves his victims not far from the Neva - symbolically, given that from the point of view of evolution, life originated in water.

The music in the film, in tone and mood, ideally matches the video sequence and decorates the already high-quality series, increasing the pressure and plunging even deeper “inside the killer.”

The series will definitely appeal to all fans of good detective and psychological stories.

It has everything to attract attention from the very first episode: an intriguing plot, well-developed main characters and antagonist, atmosphere, important details, high-quality music and convincing acting.

However, particularly impressionable viewers may be frightened by very frank scenes when the criminal “has fun” with his victim.