Out of My Depth: A Hilarious Sci-Fi Comedy in Rural Russia

Hello everyone!

I recently stumbled upon a new series called Not in My Own World on STS, and I'm excited to share my thoughts with you in this review.

THE BASICS:

Genre:Comedy, Science Fiction.

Director:Alexander Solovyov.

Country of origin:Russia.

Number of episodes:17.

Episode length:

About 20-25 minutes.

Age restriction:16+.

This show is a real wild card. It's set in rural Russia, where a group of aliens have crash-landed in a field. The main character, Igor, is a tractor driver who's stumbled upon the extraterrestrial visitors. They're a family of three - Svet, the mom, and her two sons, Roma and Borya. The aliens are trying to fix their spaceship and get back home, but things get complicated when they start to integrate into the local community.

What's the show about?The story takes place in a small Russian village, where Igor has befriended the aliens. They're trying to repair their ship, but it's not going smoothly. The villagers are suspicious of the newcomers, but Igor sees an opportunity to make some new friends and maybe even get ahead in the community. As the aliens start to settle in, strange things begin to happen - like the local animals getting all chatty thanks to some alien substance that's been spilled into the river. It's a pretty surreal setup, but it's got me hooked.

I've been waiting to see what happens next in this story. The repair work is taking its time, but in the meantime, the aliens are getting to know the villagers. It's been interesting to see how they're fitting in. Roma has fallen for the schoolteacher, Irina, and Borya has met the shopkeeper, Lyubov. Even Igor has caught Svet's eye. Plus, the local cop, Sergei Petrovich, is suspicious of the newcomers and is starting his own investigation. I'm curious to see how it all ends. You'll have to keep watching to find out.

MAIN CHARACTERS:

Igor

Igor's a down-to-earth kind of guy. He lives with his grandma, works as a tractor driver, and used to have a bit of a drinking problem, but he's long since quit. He's a good guy, always willing to lend a hand, and he's been helping the aliens fix their spaceship without anyone noticing their true nature.

Svet (played by actress Dasha Vereschagina)

I've gotta say, this 'alien' living on Earth is a real looker - a blonde bombshell, if you will. She's got two cloned sons to do her bidding, and she's not exactly thrilled to be stuck here. She's counting down the days until she can repair her spaceship and get back to her own planet.

Roma (played by actor Vlad Prokhovrov)

Roma's Svet's son, and he's a total sweetheart. He's all about making friends with the locals, and he's got a major crush on a school teacher. You can find him lurking around the school at every spare moment.

Borya (played by actor Andrei Pyznaru)

I've got a son who's a big softie, always looking out for the family's safety. He's a bit of a brute, but deep down, he's a good guy. On Earth, he discovered the magic of TV and now spends most of his free time glued to the screen.

Sergey Petrovich (played by Yuri Stoyanov)

The local cop is on to something, but he can't quite put his finger on it. He's one of the first to suspect that something's amiss in our little village.

MY TAKEAWAYS:

GENRE, PLOT DYNAMICSI'd say the genre is a mix of comedy and a dash of sci-fi. The plot's not exactly original – aliens arrive on Earth, and our heroes have to navigate this new world without getting too caught up in it. It's a lighthearted, comedic take with some fun characters and a straightforward storyline.

I've gotta say, the plot development isn't slow, but the plot itself is pretty weak. There are a ton of storylines going on: one character's trying to build a personal life, another's investigating, and another's fixing the shuttle. The aliens are always getting into some kind of trouble: the flu, a beaver uprising, a cop, or losing the shuttle. To be honest, the plot's got a lot going on, but it's also super simplistic and sometimes just plain stupid. The characters are bright and memorable, but they're also super quirky and don't really win me over. They're just as simplistic as the plot.

Honestly, the humor's pretty meh. A few jokes and scenes made me chuckle, but for the most part, there's not much to laugh at. The humor's just as simplistic and weak as the plot, on a sixth-grade level. The atmosphere's light and relaxing. The show doesn't weigh me down or strain my brain, but it also doesn't really grab me. I just can't seem to get into it, and it's not like I was expecting much from a simple STS sitcom, but this one's just too simplistic for its own good.

CastThe cast is pretty recognizable, with some big-name stars. You've got Yuri Stoyanov, Denis Prytkov, Daria Vereshagina, Vlad Prokhorov, Andrey Pynzar, and Alexander Samoilenko in the lead roles. And if you're a fan of Russian TV, you might also spot Elizaveta Goncharenko, Sonia Priss, and Timofei Zaitsev in there too.

For me, the one person I really wanted to see more of was Yuri Stoyanov - I think he's one of those actors who can elevate any show. Unfortunately, he's not in it as much as I'd like in the early episodes, so I didn't get to see him shine. The rest of the cast plays it pretty much by the book, with lots of over-the-top emotions and some pretty unnatural moments. Daria Vereshagina is a bit of a letdown too, but I think that's just the character she's playing. Overall, I'm not really impressed with anyone in the cast.

Visuals, Locations, and Operator WorkI've gotta say, the filming was pretty straightforward. The image quality is top-notch – bright, clear, and sunny. The show's set in a village during the summer, so there's plenty of greenery and sunshine on screen, making it a real treat to watch, especially on a cold winter day that just won't end.

The countryside locations are a real treat - we've got Igor's backyard, the barn, the sauna, the village school, the local police station, the church, the general store, and tons of nature - a river, a forest, fields, and even the village streets and trails. And if you look closely, you'll spot all sorts of wildlife, like cows, chickens, and even talking beavers. And then there are the so-called special effects, but let's be real, they're pretty laughable. We've got a spaceship, talking beavers, blue goo instead of blood, limbs regrowing in like two hours, and all sorts of other sci-fi nonsense. It's all done really poorly, and I'm not even sure I'd call it special effects. It's clear that the show is low-budget and nobody put any effort into the sci-fi aspects.

Verdict:

I didn't quite connect with the show. It all felt pretty basic and unengaging: the filming, the script, the characters. I don't plan on finishing it, so I wouldn't recommend it either.

Thanks for checking out my review! I hope it was helpful and interesting for you.

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My reviews of other fall and winter releases:

Major Grom: Against the System

Stand Up

The Three of Us

Full Compatibility

Landysh: Second Spring

Manunya: Childhood Ba

Love Me Again

Tunnel