Petrol (film)

2022 Australian film

Petrol

Directed by| Alena Lodkina
Written by| Alena Lodkina
Produced by| Kate Laurie
Starring|

* Nathalie Morris
* Hannah Lynch

Cinematography| Michael Latham
Edited by| Luca Cappelli
Music by| Raven Mahon
Mikey Young

Production
company

Arenamedia

Release date

* 5 August 2022 (2022-08-05) (Locarno Film Festival)

Running time

| 95 minutes
Country| Australia
Languages| English
Russian
Box office| $12,386[1]

Petrol is a 2022 Australian drama film directed by Alena Lodkina, starring Nathalie Morris and Hannah Lynch.

## Cast

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* Nathalie Morris as Eva
* Hannah Lynch as Mia
* Inga Romantsova as Victoria
* Alex Menglet as Vladimir

## Release

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The film premiered at the Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland on 5 August 2022.[2]

It was released in cinemas in Sydney and Melbourne from May and June 2023 respectively,[3] and on streaming service SBS on Demand in August 2023.[4]

## Reception

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On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 100% of 7 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.30/10.[5]

Erwan Debois of the International Cinephile Society rated the film 3.5 stars out of 5, writing that "Lodkina does not seek nor need any pretext to go deep into the jungle with her characters, which proves to be the perfect setting – along with the kind of magical hotel / cabaret concealed in it – to bring her heartfelt and singular coming-of-age tale to an open-ended conclusion."[6] Phil Hoad of The Guardian rated the film 3 stars out of 5, calling it "an experience that’s difficult to categorise and often tough to enjoy, but captivating in subtle ways".[7] Stephen A. Russell of Time Out rated the film 3 stars out of 5, writing that "in its best moments, Petrol reminds us that Lodkina is clearly a talented filmmaker to watch, with big ideas and plenty more left in the tank".[8] Jason Di Rosso of the ABC Radio National's The Screen Show called it "a powerful film about love and women's friendships", refers to the director's "sophisticated style" and "lightness of touch"", and says the film is reminiscent of "the psychoanalytic turn in art cinema of the 1960s and 70s" such as Ingrid Bergman's Persona.[3]

## References

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1. ^ "Petrol". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 24 January 2025.
2. ^ Goodfellow, Melanie (11 August 2022). "Alief Snaps Up International Sales Rights To Australian Locarno Title 'Petrol'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 27 August 2022.
3. ^ a b Di Rosso, Jason (21 May 2023). "Alena Lodkina's sophomore film Petrol captures Melbourne and the intensity of women's friendships beautifully". ABC News (Australia). The Screen Show. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
4. ^ "Petrol". SBS On Demand. 19 July 2023. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
5. ^ "Petrol". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 1 September 2024.
6. ^ Debois, Erwan (13 August 2022). "Locarno 2022 review: Petrol (Alena Lodkina)". International Cinephile Society. Retrieved 28 August 2022.
7. ^ Buckmaster, Luke (12 August 2022). "Petrol review – a cold, cerebral and unusual Melbourne drama". The Guardian. Retrieved 27 August 2022.
8. ^ Russell, Stephen A. (14 August 2022). "Petrol". Time Out. Retrieved 27 August 2022.

## External links

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* Petrol at IMDb
* Petrol at Rotten Tomatoes
* "Two highly acclaimed features: Celine Song's Past Lives + Alena Lodkina's Petrol" (24 August 2023) Podcast, The Screen Show with Jason Di Rosso, ABC Radio National