Married Bulgarian filmmaking duo Kristina Grozeva and Petar Valchanov return to the scene of most crimes, unhappy families — or, more specifically in their case, unhappy Bulgarian families still dealing with the trauma and influence of the Communist era — with their admirably cruel latest, the Vantablack comedy Black Money for White Nights.
Centered around a working-class provincial couple in their 60s who extract bribes to fund a dream trip to Russia but are foxed out of it when the Ukrainian war starts, this features several of Grozeva and Valchanov’s regular ensemble, including Ivan Savov and Tanya Shahova as main couple Gosha and Marina, plus returning player Margita Gosheva as Marina’s sister Lucy, among others. Moreover, it presents another storyline about corruption, bad luck and bitter feelings, which feels very much of a piece with their true-story-inspired “newspaper clippings trilogy” (The Lesson, Glory, and their most recent feature Triumph), even if it’s pure fiction.
Black Money for White Nights
The Bottom Line
Savage but very funny.
