It's like a bad dream. You want to turn it off but you cannot. No matter how much you are dissapointed in humankind or cynical you always have some hopes left in you. This movie will bring you to the limit. Nothing exists beyond that. The worst part is you don't realize you're watching a movie, it's so real.

Balabanov considered this to be one of his best films. Cinematically Cargo 200 is pretty solidly made, it is an effective period piece horror film laden with social commentary on the disintegrating Soviet system, just prior to its collapse a few years later. It discusses police corruption, alcoholism, the black market, the nepotism of the communist party, the Afghanistan war, and the party enforced 'scientific atheism'. It is likely not a coincidence that the key antagonist, played skillfully by Alexei Poluyan, resembles Stalin's head of secret police, Nikolai Yezhov (Poluyan had previously played the role of a ruthless Soviet secret police officer in Rogozhkin's "Chekist"), and that Felix Derzhinsky's bust figures prominently in one shot. The characters are very real, performances are effective, the cinematic treatment is Balabanov's traditional medium to wide shot (with a more static camera than usual), accompanied by period pop tunes carrying the soundtrack. The drama is suspenseful, and what is implied off screen adds to it. Personally I would have preferred if the story didn't enter horror territory (something Brother 1 and 2, and even War didn't do), that would make the social commentary more effective and broaden its audience (though Balabanov was a typical Russian director in that he didn't much care for public opinion). Having both combined in one is overload, although if you're a bonafide horror fan (which I'm not) your opinion may differ and feel free to add some more stars to my assessment.

I don't know if anyone noticed that most critical, "one star" reviews emphasize the movie's agenda rather than anything else: the primary object of their critique is not a play by the individual actors, extreme violence or disgusting scenes but director's attitude toward Soviet reality. An they are right. Every small detail in the movie is intended to show that it was indeed rotten and decaying society. The year 1984 was chosen not by the accident: it is the answer to Orwell' book "1984" where British author tried to predict how the communist society would look in 25 years. Balabanov's answer: it is worse than Orwell could even imagine. The letters "USSR" on the T-shirt are not accidental either. This is another Balabanov's answer, this time to the official Soviet literature which presented young people (komsomol)as heroes, ready to sacrifice themselves in defense of their mother-Russia or save little babies from the fire. This real "businessman-komsomolets", who was educated by the Soviet reality, who saw how Soviet officials meet fallen soldiers from Afghanistan, won't do anything like that. Indeed, the movie wants to say that such pervert like captain Zhurov could live anywhere, in any country. However, he could thrive only in USSR, in the country which lost its soul. Great movie.

It is a film about the death of totalitarianism in separately taken country. Year 1984, the life gloom of the Soviet power was condensed to the limit... Those who lived in USSR may cry when watching it. It is so cruel and at the same time so true. Every single part of you will tremble in the watching process. It is inspired from real facts, won't let anybody indifferent, I mean for those who knows at least something about the cinematography... Roles are played perfectly, just how it was meant to be played. People with weak heart and people that loves American Pie series, skip it, you won't like it anyway. For the rest, what can I say, you HAVE to see this movie. 9 out of 10