Sightlines · reception

How November was received

2017 · Rainer Sarnet · November on Sightlines

The arc

A festival curio in 2017 that most people only discovered later — once the folk-horror wave (The Witch, Hagazussa) crested and streaming put it in front of adventurous viewers, it quietly climbed from 'obscure Estonian oddity' to word-of-mouth essential.

What’s debated

The perennial split: is it a transcendent fever dream or gorgeous black-and-white imagery in search of a story — 'vibes over plot' is both the complaint and the recommendation.

Its footprint

The kratt — a creaking creature cobbled together from farm tools and bones — is the film's calling card, and stills of it circulate endlessly as shorthand for 'the weirdest folk tale you've never heard.'

Where it stands

A Letterboxd cult darling and a fixture of folk-horror and 'strangest films ever made' lists — the Estonian entry in every adventurous cinephile's 'you have to see this' arsenal.

Did you know? Mart Taniel won Best Cinematography in the International Narrative Competition at Tribeca 2017 for the film's silvery black-and-white images, and Estonia chose it as its official Oscar submission that year.