Lights All Night Long

A plot-driven immersive story of two Russian brothers - one a drug addict, the other a talented student who gets to go to America as an exchange student. It's also a portrait of two places and societies: On one side a bleak Russian former mining town in Siberia, ruled by scarcity, hopelessness and a looming oligarch. And opposing it: the bible belt of America, people defined by their religious beliefs, optimism and in possession of mundane riches that Russians can only dream about.

The plot pulls you along, it's engaging. But, there was also something about the ‘plottiness' that bugged me. The twist was pretty obvious from the start. And all the pieces fitting together in the end felt a bit too forced.