The co-writer of one of the most notorious horror films of all time returns with a story about a heavily pregnant woman and her unborn child. Remembering what we remember about A Serbian Film and its version of post-natal childcare? Suffice to say we approached this one with caution.
Yelena (Jelena Đokić) is the mother-to-be, excitedly preparing for imminent childbirth when she receives a phone call from a mysterious stranger. Claiming to be a god, this voice (a suitably deific Sergej Trifunović) issues a terrible ultimatum – murder a pre-selected list of individuals, or lose the child. After witnessing a brutal demonstration of his power, Yelena quickly comes to realise that her cold caller means business. Arming up for the sake of her unborn child, Yelena finds herself drawn into an increasingly dangerous odyssey into the Serbian criminal underworld.
Those still shell-shocked by Aleksander Radivojević’s previous work will be relieved to hear that Karmadonna – his directorial debut – doesn’t attempt to replicate the soul-destroying traumas of A Serbian Film. It’s not exactly pleasant viewing, but this follow-up feature is more on the metaphysical end of the genre spectrum than its grimy predecessor. Still, with an infant’s life hanging in the balance, you’re never quite sure whether Radivojević has something awful planned for the endgame.
If his most famous work was a political allegory about the fortunes of post-war Serbia, then Karmadonna is the writer-director’s polemic about our terminally plugged-in age. And so, spurred on by the voice on her phone, Yelena sets out in pursuit of her hit list, proving surprisingly competent as she takes on the likes of a sleazy taxi driver, predatory social media influencer, and corrupt cop in her bloody swathe through modern society.
A surrealist action thriller with a meaty performance from its leading lady, Karmadonna is an unexpected delight. Yes, it’s uncomfortable and unpleasant at times, but it’s also very funny (!) and surprisingly playful. A very different kind of Serbian film.
KARMADONNA premieres at FrightFest Glasgow on March 7, 2026.
