Soho Horror Film Fest 2025 Coverage
Burning review
Kyrgyzstan gets into the horror game with a flourish
Festival movie reviews will not contain spoilers.
Burning
Directed by Radik Eshimov
Written by Aizada Amangeldy and Dastan Madalbekov
Starring Aisanat Edigeeva, Omurbek Izrailov and Kalicha Seydalieva
Burning Review
Soho Horror Film Fest 2025 dropped a surprise into their SoHome festival lineup. Without advertising they began streaming the movie Burning from the country of Kyrgyzstan. This is almost surely the first horror movie from Kyrgyzstan I’ve seen. It’s also one of the best movies at this year’s festival. Unlike the rest of the features on offer…it didn’t have a short film attached to it. Probably because it was a bonus surprise showing and not a part of the announced lineup. It did come with a brief director introduction, however.
With no short film to cover…we can move right into the meat of Burning. It’s a simple story with a clever hook. A house in a small neighborhood is on fire…and neighbors gather together to discuss what lead to this event. We watch three different versions of the same story. They’re told through the eyes (and imaginations) of people not directly involved with the people whose home is burning. This isn’t a new concept, of course. It’s called the Rashomon Effect after Akira Kurasawa’s movie Rashomon. But, when done right, it’s very effective. Burning uses it to drive home a very harsh truth in its final story.
Essentially, we’re told (three times) about the couple that lives inside the house and the events that lead to it catching on fire. The first two stories are from people who are presenting something that plays more like a theory than firsthand knowledge. The final person is telling us what was actually happening. It’s a clever way to discuss neighborhood gossip and how nonsense quickly travels around town. But it’s also a painful reminder that true horror isn’t supernatural figures or demon possession. It happens behind closed doors in neighborhoods just like yours.
Married couple Marat and Asel live in the house. They are dealing with the fallout of their young son’s death. All three stories begin with the arrival of Marat’s mother. We see the same scenes play out with different points and different meanings throughout the three tales. In the first one, Marat’s mother is a monster. She blames Asel for her son’s death and treats her terribly. Asel believes that she is trying to take her impending baby away from her. In the second one, Marat’s mother is kind…and it’s Asel who has become something evil following her loss. Marat believes she is possessed by a demon. We learn the truth in the third story.
The stories are presented as separate chapters each with their own title. Those titles are Guilt, Excuse and The Reason. After two fantastical takes on the troubles inside their home…a neighbor with more intimate knowledge of their situation steps in to share the truth. This character turns out to be an important piece to Burning’s overall narrative. The movie isn’t afraid to get dark. Even when the supernatural excuses stop being introduced.
The three leads of the piece do a fantastic job. They’re essentially playing three different versions of the same character. Each actor gets to play versions of their character that range from subdued to dynamic depending on what the particular story calls for. It must have been a fun challenge for the actors…even if the material grows increasingly dark. It’s a great looking picture too. A confident foray into horror for director Radik Eshimov.
Burning is a strong and confident horror story that reminds us that the worst horrors happen in reality. It uses the Rashomon Effect to really hammer that point home in an effective way. The ultimate resolution to the film is intended to be a powerful and inspiring affair…but it comes off a little too melodramatic to fully land. It’s a small note on an otherwise expertly told story of how a perfectly normal looking suburban home was concealing a truly combustible element.
Scare Value
Burning presents three versions of the same events…told from the perspective of people outside of it. It’s a neat way to discuss gossip and how rumors spread. It also allows the story to go into some supernatural directions without having to truly bend reality. The reality, of course, is much scarier than the fantastical because it is real. Burning understands how to portray that message…even if it gets a little melodramatic in its final moments.
