The Admirer 2023

As 13-year-old Lena (Marina Cherepukhina) navigates her complicated family dynamics following her father’s departure from her stepmother Alexandra (Yelena Safonova), she finds solace in her own resourcefulness and charisma. In an effort to prove independence and demonstrate a harmonious living arrangement, Lena secures part-time work as a postal worker, impressing her colleagues with her quick wit and charm.

Meanwhile, the city is gripped by fear of a serial killer targeting young girls. The perpetrator’s modus operandi involves suffocation or gruesome mutilation, striking terror into the hearts of residents. On Lena’s first evening on the job, a mysterious stranger (Andrey Andreyev) clad in a trenchcoat and hat intervenes to protect her from hooligans, leaving her with a handful of chewing gum as a token of his presence. As adults discuss the ideal masculine archetype, Lena mentally checks off the attributes of this enigmatic figure: his coat, hat, gum, and cigarette.

As the days pass, an unsettling sequence of events unfolds. One evening, while delivering mail, someone attacks Lena and steals her bag containing newspapers. Convinced that she has encountered the notorious maniac, Lena is both shaken and fascinated by the experience. However, the very next night, a similar incident occurs: someone returns her stolen bag, replete with a fresh supply of chewing gum. This synchronicity sparks an epiphany in Lena, as she begins to suspect that the mysterious stranger and the elusive killer might be one and the same individual.

Despite this disturbing revelation, Lena’s affinity for the unknown suitor remains unwavering. When her friend Ira proposes testing his devotion by forcing him to purchase roller skates, Lena sees an opportunity to gauge the sincerity of her secret admirer. The very next day, an anonymous caller reaches out to Lena, uttering no words but remaining on the line. Convinced that this is her mysterious suitor, she politely asks him not to frighten her further and inquires about the cost of the roller blades.

The following day, Lena discovers the skates nestled within her mailbox, a testament to the stranger’s devotion and a harbinger of the twists and turns that will soon unfold.

As Lena’s peculiar suitor obliges to her every whim, she begins to perceive their enigmatic interactions as a thrilling cat-and-mouse game. The air is thick with anticipation as Marina returns home, imploring Lena not to hold a grudge against her father, who is consumed by worry for her well-being. However, Lena’s pent-up emotions burst forth like a stormy tempest, fueled by her earlier discovery that her father’s financial struggles render him unable to provide child support. The tension dissipates as Marina departs, leaving Lena to stew in her anger. But little does she know, the mysterious admirer has been watching their tumultuous exchange from the shadows, and the consequences will soon unfold in a dramatic twist.

The next day, Lena’s world is turned upside down when she receives word that Marina lies hospitalized, her physical and emotional state crippled by an unknown assailant. The revelation sends shockwaves through Lena’s psyche as she finally pieces together the identity of her tormentor - the same maniacal admirer whose subtle manipulation has left her reeling. Despite her initial desire to unmask him, Lena is met with silence, as if the admirer deliberately intends to keep his true nature hidden. The delicate balance between their twisted game and reality teeters on the brink as Lena’s frustration boils over into a phone call, where she bluntly declares her disdain for this enigmatic figure. But in doing so, she unwittingly triggers a chain reaction that not only imperils those around her but also puts herself squarely in harm’s way - the very people she thought she could trust, including Marina, are now vulnerable to the admirer’s wrath, and Lena finds herself at the epicenter of this maelstrom.