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During the brutal winter of 1942 on the Eastern Front of World War Two, the Soviet Union faces catastrophic collapse under the advancing Nazi military. The military's secret weapon is the First Squad, a covert division of gifted clairvoyant teenagers trained in psychic warfare. Nadya Ruslanova, the sole surviving psychic operative, suffers amnesia following an aerial bombing. As Nazi occultists summon an ancient Crusader knight and his undead legion from the afterlife to turn the war, Nadya enters the supernatural underworld to awaken her fallen teammates and protect history at the decisive Moment of Truth.
⚠ Background — may contain spoilers
Renowned animation studio Studio 4°C collaborated with Russian writers and producers Mikhail Shprits and Aliosha Klimov to create this unique supernatural war feature, directed by Yoshiharu Ashino. Premiering at the 2009 Moscow International Film Festival, where it won the prestigious Kommersant Prize, the film was released theatrically across Russia and Japan. Combining gritty wartime history with occult fantasy, the production showcased Studio 4°C's kinetic action choreography, fluid hand-drawn effects, and atmospheric digital composites, earning broad acclaim from animation connoisseurs worldwide.
First Squad isn't unwatchable, but it's certainly messy. It has enough good material to give it a second star, but it's too pretentious to ever recommend.
