Summoned by the military to a secluded research facility, a controversial young doctor named Tatiana Yurievna (Oksana Akinshina) is tasked with examining a cosmonaut who has survived a mysterious space accident. Having returned to Earth with an extraterrestrial parasite, it doesn’t take long for Tatiana to discover that the military may have more sinister intentions for Konstantin and the creature that lives inside of him.

A directorial debut for Egor Abramenko, Sputnik is a Russian sci-fi horror which contains a host of strong performances and an impressive array of special effects. With some slick directing and gorgeous cinematography, Sputnik manages to get all the basics right. It’s a shame, however, that the script is so rigid and refuses to let loose every once in a while, as it could have benefited greatly from its extraterrestrial threat. Still, the actors are able to make the most out of the script and bring life to what could have been some dull caricatures.

Much like the film’s symbiote, Sputnik could have been something special if it decided to detach itself from the sci-fi films of the past and perhaps gone further with the horror aspects of the genre. With the much-needed crescendo of violence failing to materialise to its full potential, many will be left feeling frustrated with Sputnik‘s conservative approach. Lacking in killer instinct, Sputnik is a competently put together film which could have benefited more from its deadly concept.