TL:DR Great Film, worth a watch.
This review will be split in to different sections: Costumes, Set, Background, Cast, Plot, and Other.
Costumes: Overall, the costumes are great, especially for a low-budget project. Uniforms look more authentic than anything Hollywood produces, and civilian clothing is as era-appropriate as possible.
Set: The set is a generic Ukrainian town designed to look era-appropriate. Many shots happen in the same few areas, and so is clearly low-budget at times. The outdoor sets do look impressive though, and clearly not terrible CGI.
Background: It's refreshing to have a German vs Soviets war story that isn't set around Moscow, Stalingrad or some other big city. Instead, we get a small generic Ukrainian town which makes the whole film feel much more realistic and relatable.
Cast: The cast consists mostly of 20 or 21-year-old University actors - afterall, it is an End-of-Degree project and the main cast is assembled from the classmates. This inexperienceness does shine through at times, but for the most part. Acting is good and even on par with Hollywood standards. The younger cast clearly have good chemistry together as well, making things a whole lot less awkward than some blockbuster films.
Plot: The plot is somewhat generic and could be better. Other than the WWII setting, the plot is a very generic "there's a killer among us" style now common. Some lines are cringy or out of place, but again - what can you expect from 20 year old novices? There is little to no romance unfortunately, as I feel even just one or two more romantic scenes would make all the betrayal and feelings come to life more.
Other: This is the nit-picky section of the review. My first grope is with how clean and well-shaved the young soldiers are. They are supposedly in the middle of a war, stuck behind enemy lines for a reasonable amount of time, and yet they are all chilling with 21st Century perfectly groomed haircuts and facial hair if applicable. Their uniforms are perfectly clean as well, and besides from blood, no dirt or grime ever seems to be present on the soldiers uniforms. Another issue is with the plot, with who survives and who doesn't. By the end, two minor soldiers who have no real part of the main story survive, and none of the more main characters do. It feels a little betraying that none of the main soldiers survive despite the fact there was no reason for every single one of them to die or make a final stand or anything like that. It was clearly done as a cheap "pull at your hearstrings" tactic.
In summary: Great Film, but a few areas were left lacking.
This review will be split in to different sections: Costumes, Set, Background, Cast, Plot, and Other.
Costumes: Overall, the costumes are great, especially for a low-budget project. Uniforms look more authentic than anything Hollywood produces, and civilian clothing is as era-appropriate as possible.
Set: The set is a generic Ukrainian town designed to look era-appropriate. Many shots happen in the same few areas, and so is clearly low-budget at times. The outdoor sets do look impressive though, and clearly not terrible CGI.
Background: It's refreshing to have a German vs Soviets war story that isn't set around Moscow, Stalingrad or some other big city. Instead, we get a small generic Ukrainian town which makes the whole film feel much more realistic and relatable.
Cast: The cast consists mostly of 20 or 21-year-old University actors - afterall, it is an End-of-Degree project and the main cast is assembled from the classmates. This inexperienceness does shine through at times, but for the most part. Acting is good and even on par with Hollywood standards. The younger cast clearly have good chemistry together as well, making things a whole lot less awkward than some blockbuster films.
Plot: The plot is somewhat generic and could be better. Other than the WWII setting, the plot is a very generic "there's a killer among us" style now common. Some lines are cringy or out of place, but again - what can you expect from 20 year old novices? There is little to no romance unfortunately, as I feel even just one or two more romantic scenes would make all the betrayal and feelings come to life more.
Other: This is the nit-picky section of the review. My first grope is with how clean and well-shaved the young soldiers are. They are supposedly in the middle of a war, stuck behind enemy lines for a reasonable amount of time, and yet they are all chilling with 21st Century perfectly groomed haircuts and facial hair if applicable. Their uniforms are perfectly clean as well, and besides from blood, no dirt or grime ever seems to be present on the soldiers uniforms. Another issue is with the plot, with who survives and who doesn't. By the end, two minor soldiers who have no real part of the main story survive, and none of the more main characters do. It feels a little betraying that none of the main soldiers survive despite the fact there was no reason for every single one of them to die or make a final stand or anything like that. It was clearly done as a cheap "pull at your hearstrings" tactic.
In summary: Great Film, but a few areas were left lacking.