Smršť

Smršť is the second feature-length feature film based on the motifs of the book bestseller of the same name by Josef Karika. The main roles were played by Tomáš Maštalír and Anna Geislerová. The mysterious thriller went down in history as the most successful weekend of a Slovak film in domestic cinemas when it was released. "The success of The Crack confirmed that the audience is interested in this genre, as well as the environment in which it takes place. The story must be believable so that the viewer has a real feeling that something like this can really happen. That the mind can sometimes play with him, just like with the heroes of our story," says director Peter Bebjak. The protagonist of the film Smršť is forensic psychologist Martin Lang (Tomáš Maštalír), who arrives with his wife Pawla (Aňa Geislerová) to a spa in the mountains. Far from civilization, they want to relax and try to save their relationship. They are going through a serious partner crisis, which stems from a deeply hidden trauma, and this stay is an ultimatum for them - either they will overcome their problems, or everyone will go their own way. However, the cycle of routine days is disrupted by the arrival of a mysterious shipment - a package with evidence from the investigation of a tragic case. The sender is a fellow psychologist of Lang's. He needs help from him in a case known as the "death ride", at the end of which four were dead. Lang is reluctant at first, but gradually succumbs to an unknown force that draws him to the case. Filip Veselovský, his friend Nina and her partner, police officer Gabo, got into a car one evening. After a frantic drive, the route of which made no sense, the car stopped at a pump. Nina refueled and one of the men shot her. The driver immediately set off in the direction of the woods and after a while drove at full speed in the opposite direction, where he collided with an oncoming car. The people in it were dead on the spot, as was Gabo. But he died before that, with a bullet to the head. Veselovský escaped with serious injuries and now faces charges of several crimes, including murder. He faces 25 years in prison, but he maintains that he is innocent. He tries to convince the investigators that he was forced to do everything and that the blame for this crime lies with the "gale" wind (a warm gusty wind that causes significant damage and can also affect a person).