There’s a lot to be said about human interactions and how they can shape your experience. And in the new Sony Classic Pictures film Compartment No. 6, you find a woman who is off on a journey of self-discovery tossed together with a man – she has nothing in common with. This post-soviet era film is supposed to give viewers an adventure, a change in life story but instead it leaves you bored and a bit frustrated throughout the film.
Compartment No. 6 has many flaws, not just the pacing throughout the film. Not only is Laura trying to outrun a relationship, but she decides that it was the perfect time to visit ancient petroglyphs that are on an island in the deep of winter. Despite locals telling her it’s not possible, the man she meets on the train and is rude to throughout the whole film (Lojha) goes above and beyond to make sure she gets there.

I’m not against films with subtitles, actually, some foreign films are some of my favorite movies. But I struggled with Compartment No. 6. It seemed like it was trying to create a story of discovery and friendship but relied so hard on the fake conflicts between the characters it was hard to decide which character to dislike throughout the film. Sure Lojha was weird, but the chances of you getting someone you mesh with on a cheap cabin share on a train is slim to none. And was he really weird? Or was it that Laura was just so stuck in her own head and goals, no one else really would have been acceptable in this situation?
Compartment No. 6 is now in select theaters.
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About Compartment No. 6

A young Finnish woman escapes an enigmatic love affair in Moscow by boarding a train to the arctic port of Murmansk. Forced to share the long ride and a tiny sleeping car with a larger than life Russian miner, the unexpected encounter leads the occupants of Compartment No. 6 to face major truths about human connection.
Starring Seidi Haarla and Yuriy Borisov. Directed by Juho Kuosmanen.(SONY PICTURES CLASSICS)