Final Rating: 3/5
A homeless man known more for his stench than his personality and a grumpy store owner warm up to each other through a shared encounter with an alien in the Kazakh dramedy Stinker (Sasyq), directed by Yerden Telemisov.
After an alien crash-lands on the side of a highway in Kazakhstan, he is found by depressed homeless man Sadyk Ospanovich (Bakhytzhaan Alpeis). Alongside the alien, Ospanovich takes up residence in the outhouse of a general store run by an elderly woman (Irka Abdulmanova) and her granddaughter. Though initially repulsed by their new guests, the woman and her granddaughter gradually grow closer with Ospanovich and the alien, teaching the alien the meaning of “family” by the end.
At the start, Ospanovich is suicidal, having lost his wife to COVID and become estranged from his daughter. The film opens with an extended sequence following his various attempts to kill himself. Telemissov aims for a darkly comedic tone as Ospanovich repeatedly fails to end it all. At one point, a shot of Ospanovich jumping off a bridge is followed up by a few seconds of end credits – barely 5 minutes into the movie – only to cut back and reveal that the bridge wasn’t that high and Ospanovich is fine.
The old woman is famously grumpy among the people in town and interacts with others almost exclusively with anger. Her business isn’t doing well, and she’s repeatedly on the wrong side of the local policeman and mayor, who want the highway cleared for an upcoming motorcade.
The introduction of the alien forces Ospanovich and the woman to begin working together. Over time, that collaboration softens them both, blooming into an unlikely friendship. The woman opens up about her deteriorated relationship with her son and ex-husband, while Ospanovich learns to value his own life and skills again. Both transform into warm, affectionate grandparents to the woman’s granddaughter, and fast friends to each other.
The older couple’s emotional journeys are brilliantly acted by Alpeis and Abdulmanova.
Abdulmanova is the standout, playing a no-nonsense independent elder whose rough and tough demeanour hides an entire life. In brief moments, her hard exterior falls away to betray a more sensitive side: after admonishing and kicking out Ospanovich for hurting her business, she stops herself from breaking down; when the two visit her ex-husband, she quietly shrinks into the background, letting the men argue before coming to her senses once her ex tries to hurt Ospanovich.
The side plot of Stinker revolves around the mayor (Dulyga Akmolda) and local policeman (Zangar Akhmet-Qazy), who aim to drive out all “taxi drivers, drunks, and vagrants” in preparation for an upcoming motorcade. The motorcade is a flimsy excuse for the local authorities to simply exert more authority. In reality, the mayor just sees the city as his to control, and dislikes that the old woman won’t do whatever he says.
Yerden Telemissov’s debut portrays a heartfelt story of self-discovery after a lifetime of pain. Though it occasionally gets dark, the brilliant performances keep the film fun for the whole family.
Stinker was seen during the 2025 Fantasia Festival. Thank you to the festival for the screener.
