The Year Before the War Review

Intense Pre-WWI Historical Fantasy

This movie review of The Year Before the War explores Dāvis Sīmanis’ intense, award-winning pre-WWI historical fantasy. Discover why this unrated, moody Latvian film is a thought-provoking watch perfect for mature audiences and deep discussion.

🎞️ The Year Before the War Review: An Award-Winning Latvian Film

If you appreciate complex, avant-garde cinema that makes you think long after the credits roll, the Latvian film The Year Before the War (directed by Dāvis Sīmanis) is an incredibly unique piece of filmmaking.

As someone who loves settling into an atmospheric movie night and exploring stories that challenge the status quo, I enjoyed this historical fantasy.

I personally liked it and appreciated its artistry, but it is a complex, heavy piece of art rather than a lighthearted Hollywood blockbuster.

However, for film lovers who enjoy artistic, surreal cinema, it is easy to see why it swept so many categories at the Latvian National Film Awards.

🎥 Moody Cinematography and Multi-Lingual Subtitles

Set in 1913 on the precipice of World War I, the film follows a young Latvian man named Peter as he drifts across a European continent vibrating with political tension.

The narrative relies on its multilingual atmosphere, featuring a mix of Latvian, Russian, French, and German audio paired with English subtitles.

The cinematography is moody and fantastical.

In many ways, the striking, visual style captures the surreal paranoia of the story just as much as the spoken dialogue.

⚠️ Important Notes for Mature Audiences

The film is currently unrated and is strictly intended for mature audiences.

Intense Elements: The story doesn’t shy away from the harsh realities of the era’s brewing radical movements, featuring moments of stark violence.
Visual Warning: The style is flashy at times, which could potentially cause issues for photosensitive viewers.

🏛️ Thought-Provoking and Strikingly Relevant Today

What makes this surreal historical fantasy so fascinating is how deeply relevant its core themes feel right now.

As Peter travels through Europe, he runs directly into the radical thought leaders of the early 20th century, including brief, satirical encounters with figures like Trotsky, Stalin, and Sigmund Freud.

With all the intense political and social upheaval going on across the globe today, watching these historical ideologies clash on screen feels incredibly timely.

We see how individual people get swept up in massive, chaotic societal shifts.

👥 Watch It with a Friend (and Watch It Twice!)

This is a film that practically begs for a post-movie discussion.

I recommend watching it with a close friend or a fellow movie buff so you can sit down together afterward to break down the symbolism, historical cameos, and political undertones.

This is also the type of movie you can easily watch more than once, picking up on entirely new layers of meaning during a second or third viewing.

🛒 Explore Award-Winning International Cinema

Are you ready to dive into a visually spectacular, award-winning international thriller?

Do you enjoy watching surreal historical dramas or foreign films that leave room for interpretation?

➡️➡️ Order The Year Before the War today! ⬅️⬅️

🎬 The Year Before the War

Indiepix Films
Not Rated
Release Date 7/14/26

Synopsis

As Europe teeters on the brink of World War I, Hans (Petr Buchta), a humble doorman in Riga, is swept into a whirlwind of radical ideologies, political upheaval, and rising nationalism.

His journey becomes an odyssey across a continent in turmoil, carrying him from utopian communes to imperial capitals.

Bearing witness to violence, passion and intrigue, he crosses paths with some of the era’s most influential figures – including Mata Hari, Sigmund Freud, Vladimir Lenin, Joseph Stalin, and Leon Trotsky – amid the unraveling of the old order.

Producers

Roberts Vinovskis

Director

Davis Simanis

Cast

Petr Buchta as Hans
Inga Silina as Alma
Girts Kesteris as Freud
Lauris Dzelzitis as Lenin
Eduards Johansons as Stalin
Gints Gravelis as Trotsky

Language

Latvian, German, French and Russian with English Subtitles

Official Trailer: The Year Before the War

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