Viy

Critics Consensus

No consensus yet.

Tomatometer
Not Yet Available

TOMATOMETER

Total Count: N/A

80%

Audience Score

User Ratings: 1,023
User image

Verified

  • User image

    Super Reviewer

    Rate this movie

    Oof, that was Rotten.

    Meh, it passed the time.

    It’s good – I’d recommend it.

    Awesome!

    So Fresh: Absolute Must See!

    What did you think of the movie? (optional)

  • You're almost there! Just confirm how you got your ticket.

  • User image

    Super Reviewer

    Step 2 of 2

    How did you buy your ticket?

    Let's get your review verified.

    • Fandango

    • AMCTheatres.com or AMC AppNew

    • Cinemark Coming Soon

      We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

    • Regal Coming Soon

      We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

    • Theater box office or somewhere else

    By opting to have your ticket verified for this movie, you are allowing us to check the email address associated with your Rotten Tomatoes account against an email address associated with a Fandango ticket purchase for the same movie.

    You're almost there! Just confirm how you got your ticket.

  • User image

    Super Reviewer

    Rate this movie

    Oof, that was Rotten.

    Meh, it passed the time.

    It’s good – I’d recommend it.

    Awesome!

    So Fresh: Absolute Must See!

    What did you think of the movie? (optional)

  • How did you buy your ticket?

    • Fandango

    • AMCTheatres.com or AMC AppNew

    • Cinemark Coming Soon

      We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

    • Regal Coming Soon

      We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

    • Theater box office or somewhere else

    By opting to have your ticket verified for this movie, you are allowing us to check the email address associated with your Rotten Tomatoes account against an email address associated with a Fandango ticket purchase for the same movie.

Movie Info

A group of seminary students from the city go on summer break, drunkenly wandering the countryside. They end up lost, and spend a night in the company of a haggard witch. A scuffle breaks out, and one of the students, Khoma (Leonid Kuravlyov), murders the witch. Only it turns out he really killed a beautiful landowner's daughter (Natalya Varley), and now he must sit with her body in a church for three days, protecting it from evil spirits. This horror movie was based on a story by Nikolai Gogol.
  • Genre:
    horror, fantasy
  • Original Language:
    Russian
  • Director:
    Georgiy Kropachyov
  • Release Date (Streaming):
  • Runtime:
  • Production Co:
    Mosfilm
  • Sound Mix:
    Mono

Cast

Leonid Kuravlev
as Khoma
Natalya Varley
as Pannochka
Alexei Glazyrin
Vadim Zakharchenko
Nikolai Kutuzov
Petr Vesklyarov
Dmitriy Kapka
Stepan Shkurat
G. Sochevko
Nikolai Yakovchenko
Nikolai Panasev
View All

Critic Reviews for Viy

All Critics (4) | Top Critics (1) | Fresh (3) | Rotten (1)

  • Russian director Alexander Ptushko is known for his special effects, which have an appropriately low-tech charm in this 1967 folktale.

    October 17, 2016 | Full Review…

    Fred Camper

    Chicago Reader
    Top Critic

  • The Viy itself is a disappointment, a lumbering, silly looking thing that would be right at home in The Neverending Story.

    October 17, 2016 | Rating: 2.5/5 | Full Review…

    Maitland McDonagh

    TV Guide

  • Viy serves as the prototypical horror film of the 1960s, one whose special effects and lowbrow exterior disguise its own considerably more nuanced agenda.

    October 17, 2016 | Full Review…

    Matthew Monagle

    Brooklyn Magazine

  • Typical of Ptushko's work, it mixes gothic horror, from a short story by Nikolai Gogol, and grotesque animated effects in a proletarian automatic blender.

    May 4, 2010 | Full Review…

    Kelly Vance

    East Bay Express
View All Critic Reviews (4)

Audience Reviews for Viy

  • Nov 07, 2011
    If you combine Bergman and some of Bresson's metaphysical elements with the subsequent fantasy touches of Pasolini in 1974 and the random horror/fantasy insanity you're already familiar with in this era, you get <i>Viy</i>, a groundbreaking glimpse into the collision between the impossible magic of celluloid and a "Tarkovskian" struggle of faith against demons. Unique and influential masterpiece that opened new boundaries for camp fun in the most artistic way possible. 99/100
    Edgar C Super Reviewer
  • May 22, 2010
    A philosopher monk must spend 3 nights vigil over the body of a witch he possibly murdered.  I?ve heard that this is Russia?s first horror film, made in 1967, and boy, is it a doozy.  Though most of the characters are fairly unlikable and the story slows down in spots, this is a visually astounding film.  And the payoff, with the monk spending the third night with the corpse, has to be seen to be believed.  Great stuff.
    Christopher B Super Reviewer
  • Apr 30, 2009
    A seminarian in Czarist Ukraine must say prayers for three nights over the corpse of a deceased witch who had a vendetta against him. This Soviet era film, now available in the West, is one of the true classic horror movies, with no blood, sex or CGI but a brilliantly chilling story, amazingly elegant effects, and a final reel of full of horrifyingly conceived monsters . Faithfully adapted from the Nikolai Gogol short story.
    Greg S Super Reviewer
  • Jul 26, 2008
    the russian horror classic can now be seen in it's entirety w/english subs on youtube here: http://youtu.be/zyg0WUsY9HI . legendary russian movie studio mosfilm has a youtube channel where they are posting their most famous films, most with english subs. they'll be adding 5 new features a week for a total of 200 by year's end. tarkovskys, eisensteins and plenty of lesser known gems can be found here: http://www.youtube.com/user/mosfilm
    Stella D Super Reviewer
See all Audience reviews

Viy Quotes

There are no approved quotes yet for this movie.

Movie & TV guides