Film-making is traditionally a slow process. Even documentaries, which tend to be lighter on their feet and more responsive to world events, struggle to be entirely of the moment. Which is one of the reasons that Antidote, James Jones’s gripping documentary about the courageous whistleblowers standing up to the Putin regime, is so remarkable. The film, which plays out like a heart-pounding thriller, had its release date pushed back from last week to incorporate a breaking news story: the three UK-based Bulgarian nationals who were found guilty earlier this month of spying for Russia.
Antidote – essential viewing for anyone with half an eye on the current geopolitical landscape – couldn’t be more timely. It gives a sobering insight into the personal cost of opposing Putin: open-source collective Bellingcat journalist Christo Grozev, whom audiences may recall from his key role in the Oscar-winning 2022 documentary Navalny, endures off-the-scale stress levels, enforced separation from his family and, he suspects, possible Russian involvement in the death of his father.
Antidote is in select cinemas now and will be shown on Channel 4 as Kill List: Hunted by Putin’s Spies on Tuesday 27 March
