Fans of Black Sabbath, kung fu, and/or wacky comedy won’t want to miss The Invisible Fight, the gonzo Estonian martial arts movie we didn’t know we needed.
The year is 1973. Rafael is the sole survivor when Chinese kung fu assassins breach the border with the USSR. Convinced he’s been spared for a purpose — and that purpose is to learn kung fu — Rafael finds unlikely mentors in an Orthodox monastery where spiritual teachings are supplemented with kick ass chop sockey. It’s true that Rainer Sarnet’s movie is very, very silly. But the mash up of Kaurismaki-an deadpan absurdism and Edgar Wright flash and tickle (bolstered by repeated strains of heavy metal) signals the arrival of a new cult curio and a filmmaker of eye-popping panache.
Hilarious… an explosive mix of kung fu, heavy metal and Orthodox Christianity.
Mariana Hristova, Cineuropa
A dense tapestry unpacked through vivacious, sardonic, and subversive humor that challenges both sacred and secular norms… a genre mashup that serves as its own example of transcendence and transgression, much like its unorthodox monk protagonist.
Martin Kudlak, Screen Anarchy
Badass! The Invisible Fight rocks! There’s a morality tale in here, obviously, but above all it’s a damn good time at the cinema.
Alex Billington, Firstshowing.net
Rainer Sarnet
Ursel Tilk, Ester Kuntu, Indrek Sammul, Kaarel Pogga
Estonia/Latvia/Greece/Finland
2023
In Estonian with English subtitles
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Credits
Screenwriter
Rainer Sarnet
Cinematography
Mart Taniel
Editor
Jussi Rautaniemi
Original Music
Koshiro Hino
Production Design
Jaagup Roomet
Art Director
Evelyna Darzenta, Martins Straupe
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