Finnick (Russian: Финник, also known as Little Monsters) is a 2022 Russian animated feature film produced by the Riki Group and the Petersburg Animation Studio. It was directed by Denis Chernov. The film premiered on 24 March 2022.
Contents
Synopsis
The events of the film occur in a fuctional town of Berg, which resembles St. Petersburg. A girl Chirstina and a domovoy (house spirit) who lives in her house are trying to resolve the mystery of strange events terrorising the town.
Production
Director: Denis Chernov (ru)
Screenwriter: Tatyana Belova
Story by: Denis Chernov, Tatyana Belova
Composer: Sergey Sidorov
Producers: Elena Chirkova, Ivan Polyakov
Executive producers: Ilya Popov (ru), Yuliya Nikolayeva
Writing team: Neil Landau, Lev Murzenko, Aleksandr Kim, Tim Verenko, Jeff Hilton
Editor: Aleksandr Sinitsyn
Song "Beautiful Old House": Andrey Knyazev (ru) (KnyaZz) and Helavisa (Melnitsa)
Production designer: Olga Ovinnikova
Sound engineers: Igor Yakovel (ru), Denis Dushin
Character designers: Valeriy Belov, Denis Chernov, Yana Korotayeva
Production manager: Darya Davydova
Chief operating officer: Yuliya Nemchina
Technical director: Oleg Muranov
Lead line producer: Elena Chugunova
Line producers: Anastasiya Yakovenko, Dayana Voldiyanova, Mariya Andreyeva
Executive co-producer: Neil Landau
Voice cast
Mikhail Khrustalyov (ru) — Finnick
Veronika Makeeva — Kristina
Ida Galich (ru) — Kristina's mother
Boris Dergachyov (ru) — Kristina's father
Andrey Lyovin (ru) — Jay Bee
Danya Milokhin (ru) — Tikfin / Hamsterfin / Motyafin
Aleksandr Gudkov (ru) — Mafyn
Artur Babich (ru) — Pinkfin / Flyufin
Lesha Youungeer — Timfin / Tupikfin
Vlad Levskiy — Punkfin / Finol
Ten Yujin — Frogfin / Bugfin
Tyoma Waterfork — Grifin / Alfin
Ivan Chaban — Mark
Mikhail Chernyak (ru) — Reporter
Maksim Sergeev (ru) — Director / Narrator (uncredited)
Svetlana Kuznetsova-Tsaryova (ru) — Assistant director
Boris Khasanov (ru) — Grendfazerin
Vladimir Maslakov (ru) — Blackfin
Sergey Mardar (ru) — Dogfin
Valeriy Solovyov (ru) — Detective
Vladimir Postnikov (ru) — Postman
Production and release
The film was announced in 2018 under the title My Friend Finnick, produced in collaboration with the American company 3Beep and its founder Tim Verenko, with an initial planned release in 2020.
The film premiered on 24 March 2022. Initially, the distributor was set to be Sony Pictures Releasing, but that same month, in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Sony announced it would cease operations in Russia to support humanitarian efforts in Ukraine. The film was eventually distributed by Central Partnership.
The film premiered in Moscow on 23 March 2022, before releasing in cinemas across Russia the next day.
On 28 April 2022, Finnick was released on online streaming platforms Kinopoisk, Okko, and Ivi.
Soundtrack
For the film's soundtrack, former leader of the band Korol i Shut Andrey Knyazev (ru) and the lead singer of Melnitsa, Helavisa (ru), released the song "Beautiful Old House", a reworking of the song "Cursed Old House" from Korol i Shut's 2001 album As in an Old Tale.
The soundtrack Finnick: Music from the Film was released on 25 March 2022. Music critic Aleksey Mazhayev (ru) reviewed the soundtrack for Intermedia.ru and rated it 8 out of 10.
Reception
Critical response
InterMedia, a respected Russian film portal, gave Finnick a score of 8 out of 10 in its review titled "Art Demands Fur". The review praises the film's faithful take on Slavic mythology through the domovoy character, its emotional depth, and the way it thoughtfully modernizes folklore to explore themes of isolation and community.
TV Mag, in its coverage of the film's release, described Finnick as a "bright family comedy" with a "whimsical detective adventure" setup.
Audience response
On KinoCensor, users rate Finnick 7.01 / 10. This positive score reflects appreciation for the film's balance of playful mischief and heartfelt messaging about home and care.
Afisha.ru user reviews lean favorably: commenters describe the film as "kind and funny", noting that both adults and children can find enjoyment in its humor and design. Many users highlighted the warmth of the story and the charm of its furry protagonist.
On the review site Otzyv.pro, one user remarked, "the film is full of positivity ... funny, colorful, and kind", recommending it as a perfect pick for quality family time.
According to IVI, a major Russian streaming service, the film holds a rating of 8.3 / 10. Viewers on the platform praise its "soulful adventure", the depth of the friendship between Finnick and Kristina, and its magical detective storyline.
Sequels
A continuation of the film, an animated TV series titled Detective Finnick, consisting of 26 episodes of seven minutes each, premiered on the channel STS on 25 December 2022.
A sequel to the film, titled Finnick 2, was released nationwide in cinemas on 23 October 2025, three years after the first installment.
Awards
2023 – 21st Golden Eagle Awards: winner in the category Best Animated Feature
2023 – 28th Open Russian Animation Festival in Suzdal: winner in the category Best Feature Film
2023 – Russian National Animation Award Ikar: winner in the Full-Length Feature category