In The Moscow Slums Blu-ray presents a richly entertaining historical detective mystery from acclaimed director Karen Shakhnazarov, adapted from Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Sign of Four and the writings of journalist Vladimir Gilyarovsky. Set in turn-of-the-century Moscow, the film blends classic whodunit intrigue with theatrical history and period atmosphere.
 
In 1902, legendary actor and theatre director Konstantin Stanislavski seeks to understand the lives of society’s outcasts for his upcoming production of Gorky’s The Lower Depths. To do so, he teams up with journalist Gilyarovsky, who guides him through the notorious Khitrovka district, Moscow’s answer to Victorian Whitechapel. There, the pair become entangled in a bizarre murder involving a chess-playing mystic known as The Rajah, a fallen aristocrat called The Countess, and a violent Englishman with a deadly accomplice.
 
A loving homage to Sherlock Holmes–style mysteries and the golden age of Russian theatre, the film balances suspense, humour, and historical texture with confidence. Co-presented by Deaf Crocodile and Seagull Films, In The Moscow Slums arrives on Blu-ray in its best possible presentation, making its North American debut with an impressive slate of new bonus features.
 
directed by: Karen Shakhnazarov
starring: Konstantin Kryukov, Mikhail Porechenkov, Anfisa Chernykh
2023 / 129 min / Russian