Elena

An aging, affluent patriarch endures a heart attack, triggering a rethinking of his fortune. He intends to leave the bulk of his wealth to his estranged daughter, a move that unsettles the household's delicate balance. His wife Elena, smooth and calm, begins to maneuver the situation to secure a different outcome that benefits her own circle. The film follows a quiet tug of wills at a time when money, loyalty, and care clash beneath polished surfaces. As relatives circle, the true motives of each character come into sharper focus, revealing how affection can be entangled with power and obligation. Set in a contemporary urban milieu, the film relies on glances and stillness rather than loud confrontations, letting the tension accumulate as ordinary conversations reveal competing loyalties. The audience is asked to read the room as much as the dialogue, and to consider what care means when money is at stake.

Directed by Andrey Zvyagintsev from a screenplay by Oleg Negin, Elena situates a modern Russian family amid financial and moral tensions. The film stars Nadezhda Markina, Aleksey Rozin, Andrey Smirnov, with a measured, restrained style.

The film earned recognition on the international festival circuit, with nominations for its direction and performances and praise for its spare, precise storytelling. Critics highlighted the way the filmmaking lets viewers weigh competing loyalties and moral choices without didacticism.

Elena stands out for its clinical, understated approach to a familiar Russian tale of wealth and family ties. Its moral ambiguity and focus on the consequences of philanthropy and control have influenced later dramas that foreground character psychology over sensational plot twists.

Critics praised the film for its subtle performances, particularly Markina's, and for exploring how money reshapes relationships in late modern Russia. The movie invites reflection on duty, greed and the uneasy balance between care and self interest.