Murina (2021)
Sometimes a film feels like it's standing right at the edge of a cliff, ready to jump, and then it just... doesn't. That's Murina in a nutshell. It's a sun-scorched, salt-sprayed Croatian drama with every ingredient you'd want, and it comes so close to being something genuinely special that the gap between "very good" and "great" is more frustrating than if it had simply been mediocre.
The setup is tight and uncomfortable in the best way. A deeply dysfunctional family on a Croatian island is negotiating the sale of their property to the father's wealthy old associate. That's it, more or less, and director Antoneta Alamat Kušanović (with Martin Scorsese on board as executive producer, no less) wrings every last drop of tension from those claustrophobic dynamics. The coastal setting is gorgeous, all shimmering water and bleached rock, but there's nothing romantic about what's happening between these people. The landscape is beautiful and the relationships are ugly, and that contrast keeps you on edge throughout.
The acting is excellent across the board, but two performances in particular are worth shouting about. Cliff Curtis plays the wealthy old friend with this charming, slippery unease that I couldn't take my eyes off. He's warm and gregarious on the surface and quietly threatening underneath, and Curtis lands that balance perfectly. Every scene he's in crackles. But the real revelation is Gracija Filipović as Murina herself, in what I understand to be her debut. She carries the emotional weight of the whole film on her shoulders and makes it look effortless. There's a raw, restless energy to her performance, that particular teenage mix of rebellion and desperation that's so easy to get wrong and so hard to get right. She nails it.
And Kušanović has a real eye for meaningful visual detail. There's a recurring motif involving Murina switching between a white bathing suit and a blue one, and it's one of those lovely, quiet touches that does the work of an entire monologue without a single word of explanation. It's the kind of thing that makes you sit up and think, right, this director knows exactly what she's doing. The coastal cinematography is gorgeous throughout, and the soundtrack earns its place too.
So where does it fall short? Honestly, it's hard to pinpoint any single thing, which is almost the problem. All the individual elements are top-tier, but they never quite fuse into something that feels truly necessary. There are moments where Murina seems to be building towards a breakthrough, emotionally or dramatically, and then it pulls back just before the leap. You're left with a film that's consistently good rather than occasionally extraordinary, hovering just below the waterline of genuine greatness.
If you're after something in a similar vein, I'd also point you towards Tiger Stripes, another sharp coming-of-age story with a strong female lead that similarly operates in the space between body horror and personal identity. Both films are interested in what it feels like to be a young woman whose sense of self is under pressure from all sides.
Three stars.
Murina is a genuinely good film, warm and tense in equal measure, with performances worth seeking it out for on their own. Kušanović is clearly a filmmaker with a distinctive voice and a sharp instinct for the telling detail, and I'll absolutely be watching what she does next. This one just stops short of the leap I was willing it to take. Well worth your time, but don't be surprised if you finish it feeling slightly hungry for more.
Rating: ★★★ | Year: 2021 | Watched: 2026-06-11
Where to watch
Watch in the UK
Rent: Apple TV Store · Amazon Video · Google Play Movies · Sky Store
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Physical: Amazon UK · Zavvi
Watch in the US
Stream: Kino Film Collection
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Physical: Amazon US
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