Luna Park

The film opens with Andrei leading The Cleaners as they march in Moscow, chanting about purging those deemed 'unfit.' A crowd waves Russian flags while a biker gang fights back, signaling the violent undercurrent of Andrei's world. The atmosphere is chaotic and nationalistic, setting the stage for the film’s themes of identity and hatred.

The Cleaners live and operate from Luna Park, an abandoned amusement park filled with wild roller coasters and distorting mirrors. The setting provides a surreal backdrop for their violent acts and the descent into chaos that defines Andrei's early life. This location acts as a home base for their ruthless activities.

Andrei believes his father was a Soviet war hero who died in Afghanistan. He idolizes this idealized version of his father and strives to emulate him as the model Russian. This misconception drives his devotion to the gang's extremist worldview.

During a drunken night of confessions, Andrei learns his father is actually Jewish, alive in Moscow, and not the heroic figure he imagined. The revelation shakes his sense of self and forces him to re-evaluate his loyalties and his country's history. The conflict intensifies as he wrestles with family, identity, and hate.

Aliona urges Andrei to kill his father to avenge the pain she endured from his infidelity and failed career. This demand assaults Andrei's already fractured loyalties and pushes him toward a moral crisis. The confrontation exposes the personal costs of the cycle of hatred.

Andrei meets Naoum Kheifitz, a once-influential Jewish composer who now performs at private parties. He sees a gentler, charming side of his father through Naoum and begins to question antisemitism and the hatred he was raised with. This encounter marks a turning point in Andrei's outlook.

Naoum's presence challenges Andrei's gang to confront Jewish culture in a more nuanced way. The father’s own warmth and acceptance provide a stark contrast to The Cleaners' brutal ideology. Andrei's internal conflict grows as he tries to reconcile his love for his father with the gang's beliefs.

Andrei attempts to explain to The Cleaners that his father is not an enemy, but the gang rejects this new reality. They respond with hostility as the movement resists change and clings to their dogmatic antisemitism. The tension escalates as loyalties fracture.

In a brutal act, the gang ransacks Naoum's apartment, abducts Naoum, and drags him back to Luna Park. Andrei is horrified by the gang's brutality and realizes how far his world has fallen. The incident catalyzes the film's climactic sequence.

Andrei races to Luna Park to save his father as chaos erupts and the park catches fire. The mother, Aliona, chooses to die with the park rather than face the consequences of Andrei's chosen path. The conflagration serves as a dramatic symbol of destruction and transformation.

Naoum's parallel arc culminates in a fragile acceptance of Andrei by his father, who rejects antisemitism and embraces his son's humanity. This shift marks the dramatic turning point in Andrei's internal struggle and foreshadows a hopeful path forward.

In the film's closing moments, Andrei and Naoum board a train to Siberia, seeking a fresh start away from the gang and the corrupt city. The journey hints at new beginnings, though it remains uncertain whether Andrei's transformation will hold. The final image is one of movement and possible redemption.