Blowing me away (as well as many audience members) at Fantasia International Film Festival in 2024, Steppenwolf is a Kazakh language thriller which follows two characters — a psychopathic, murderous former police investigator (Berik Aytzhanov) and a woman consumed by trauma (Anna Starchenko) — as they embark on a dangerous mission across a violent, dystopian wasteland to rescue a young boy and fulfill bloody vengeance. The film is a mix of The Searchers (1956) and Mad Max (1979) told through a No Country for Old Men (2007)-adjacent amoral lens. From its onset, there are two key shots in which director Adilkhan Yerzhanov (Ademoka’s Education) lets the audience know his great influences for the exhilarating, nihilistic, unsettling adventure that is Steppenwolf.
If you’re interested in a spoiler-free exploration of the film, head over to EoM Contributor Blak Cinephile’s original Fantasia International Film Festival 2024 review at 8Bit Waffles.
Steppenwolf has the perfect odd couple for this journey of vengeance across a torrid land. Braiyuk is a man who enacts violence effortlessly, quick on his feet to evade dangerous situations, and kills without a second thought in his mind. Portrayed by an excellent Berik Aytzhanov (The Legend of Tomiris), director Adilkhan Yerzhanov mentions in the behind-the-scenes featurette on this Aarow Video release that Braiyuk is akin to an Anton Chigurh (the villainous character from the Coen Brothers’ No Country for Old Men), a man who kills with no remorse and only continues in his quest to benefit himself instead of others. I’d argue he’s more in line with Benecio del Toro’s character Alejandro Gillick from Denis Villeneuve’s Sicario (2015), another character who is quick to kill … but not without some remorse. This is exemplified through Aytzhanov’s brilliant layered performance. As he may make a devious smile or laugh after saying or doing something cruel, there is a lingering look in his eye, something of remembrance of a life he had before everything became lawless. A highlight of the film is a powerful scene in which Aytzhanov delivers a monologue of how his family was murdered by a man he has been driven to kill. He stumbles, stopping himself short of crying, ridding himself (if not for a few minutes) of the psychopathic mask he wears to just cope within the mad world he lives in.
STEPPENWOLF packshot. Photo courtesy of Arrow Video.
On the flip side of the coin, Anna Starchenko (Cadet) delivers an equally great performance as Tamara, a meek, trauma-stricken woman who is searching for the last bit of life she has left in this wasted world — her son. The theme of Tamara being a unique guardian angel for Braiyuk is highlighted in a sequence where the former interrogator is handcuffed and is about to be executed. Before he is, a light reflects from Tamara’s son’s Rubix’s cube which she is holding in her hand shines on his face, sparking the idea of him lying to his captors that Tamara has a monetary reward for anyone who can find her son. It’s a lie that buys Braiyuk more time of living and one that sets these two on the same path to bloody destiny. Tamara may be meek but she’s indestructible in her grace; Adilkhan Yerzhanov drives this home in a stunning, incredulous sequence where she walks untouched and unharmed among chaos of warring factions shooting and killing each other. Amidst the gunfire, she walks around mumbling different characteristics of her son, asking each of person she comes across, alive or not, if they’ve seen him. Her impenetrable faith clashes with Braiyuk’s nihilism. His taunts, his slaps, and his cruel mocking don’t break her spirit. If anything, they enhances it. As she searches for family, he searches for something resembling closure, death, or both.
Steppenwolf wears its influences well while never losing the forest for the trees, nailing home director Adilkhan Yerzhanov’s chaotic vision. Because of its violent nature, Steppenwolf may not be for everyone, including fans of The Searchers or Mad Max, but one cannot deny how starkly beautiful this film is. Director Adilkhan Yerzhanov and cinematographer Yerkinbek Ptyraliyev (Cadet) make great use of their vast landscapes and bring greyish beauty to the dark madness. It all builds up to an unforgettable climax that is both violent and strangely cathartic (a tense showdown also echoing the climax of Villeneuve’s Sicario). In this limited-edition Blu-ray release by Aarow Video, fans are in for a treat with the supplemental features included. In addition to a 1080p high-definition presentation of the film, Adilkhan Yerzhanov’s 2022 drama Goliath is included alongside a behind-the-scenes featurette, a visual essay in which film historian and academic Lee Broughton reworks the film as a transnational post-western, and an audio commentary by critic and pop culture historian David Flint.
Steppenwolf Special Features:
- High-Definition (1080p) Blu-ray presentations of Steppenwolf and Goliath
- Original lossless DTS HD-MA 5.1 surround audio for both films
- English subtitles for both films
- Optional Spanish subtitles available for Steppenwolf only
- *NEW* Audio commentary on Steppenwolf with critic and pop culture historian David Flint, recorded exclusively for Arrow Video in 2025
- *NEW* Reading Steppenwolf as a Transnational Post-Western, a brand new visual essay by author, film historian and academic Lee Broughton, exploring the use of American and Italian Western genre tropes in Steppenwolf and other films from around the world
- The Making of Steppenwolf, a 15-minute behind-the-scenes featurette featuring interviews with the cast and crew
- Illustrated collector’s booklet featuring new interviews with Steppenwolf cast and crew members including writer-director Adilkhan Yerzhanov, producer Aliya Mendygozhina, actors Berik Aitzhanov and Anna Starchenko, composer Galymzhan Moldanazar and cinema
- Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly-commissioned artwork by Time Tomorrow
Available on Blu-Ray May 27th, 2025.
For more information, head to the official Arrow Video Steppenwolf webpage.
For more information, head to the official MVD Entertainment Group Steppenwolf webpage.
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Categories: Films To Watch, Home Release, Recommendation
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