The Banishment

(2008)

★ 7.1 IMDb · 176 votes

Genres: Drama

Year: 2008

Runtime: 150 мин

Country: Russia

Director: Андрей Звягинцев

Cast: Константин Лавроненко, Александр Балуев, Maria Bonnevie, Дмитрий Ульянов, Виталий Кищенко, Максим Шибаев, Алексей Вертков, Игорь Сергеев, Yekaterina Kulkina, Ira Gonto

Plot

While vacationing in the countryside at his childhood home, a woman suddenly reveals to her husband that she is expecting a child – but not his.

Alex takes his wife Vera and their two children to a remote countryside house. The quiet setting initially suggests a retreat from urban life, but an unspoken strain lingers between the couple. Soon after arriving, Vera reveals a shocking truth: she is pregnant, and the child is not Alex's. This confession triggers a chain of emotional and moral conflict. Alex, withdrawn and unable to process the revelation, responds with cold detachment rather than open confrontation. As silence and misunderstanding deepen, Vera becomes increasingly isolated and desperate.